How much house can I afford in Newfoundland and Labrador?
Newfoundland and Labrador has no land transfer tax. Buyers pay Registry of Deeds fees instead: $100 plus $0.40 per $100 above $500, on both the deed and the mortgage. With the minimum down payment on a $350,000 home, that's $2,979 in total. There's no sales tax on the CMHC premium, and borrowing limits follow the national GDS and TDS rules at the stress-test rate.
Worked examples use 4.12%, the Bank of Canada's average effective rate on new insured 5-year-plus fixed mortgages (2026-08), and are recalculated whenever our rules or rates are updated.
What's different about buying in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador has no land transfer tax. Instead, the Registry of Deeds charges a fee to register the deed and another to register your mortgage. Both are based on the dollar amount, so they grow with your price and your loan. In our examples below, the two fees together stay under 1% of the price.
There is no sales tax on the CMHC premium here, and no provincial first-time exemption, because there is no transfer tax to exempt. The borrowing limits are the national ones: GDS up to 39%, TDS up to 44%, tested at the stress-test rate.
Registry of Deeds fees
The provincial schedule of fees sets the same formula for both registrations:
- Deed (conveyance): $100 if the value is $500 or less; otherwise $100 plus $0.40 for each additional $100, or part of $100.
- Mortgage: the same formula on the amount the mortgage secures. If that amount is more than the property's value, the fee is based on the property's value.
In practice, each fee is about 0.4% of the amount plus $100. On a $350,000 home the deed alone costs $1,498. Here are both fees at a few example prices, assuming the minimum down payment and an insured mortgage with the premium added, with Alberta and Saskatchewan (the other provinces that charge registration fees instead of a transfer tax) for comparison:
| Example price | Mortgage (with premium) | NL deed fee | NL mortgage fee | NL total | Alberta total | Saskatchewan total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $247,000 | $1,098 | $1,086 | $2,184 | $600 | $1,200 |
| $350,000 | $345,800 | $1,498 | $1,481 | $2,979 | $800 | $1,675 |
| $500,000 | $494,000 | $2,098 | $2,074 | $4,172 | $1,095 | $2,275 |
| $700,000 | $681,200 | $2,898 | $2,823 | $5,721 | $1,485 | $3,325 |
Because the mortgage is registered on its full amount, a smaller down payment means a bigger mortgage fee. With the minimum down payment, a $350,000 purchase costs $2,979 to register in total. Saskatchewan's figures exclude its 6% PST on the CMHC premium, which Newfoundland and Labrador doesn't charge.
Monthly costs: property tax and heat
With registration fees this modest, your monthly housing costs do more to set your budget than anything you pay on closing day. Lenders count property tax and heating in GDS. We use an example property tax of 0.75% of the price; your municipality's rate may be higher or lower, so use the property's last tax bill.
Heating works the same way. CMHC asks lenders to use actual heating costs, or a reasonable estimate for the property, rather than a fixed figure. In our example, raising heat from $100 to $200 a month lowers the maximum price from $403,600 to $390,000. If the home you're looking at has older heating or is larger, ask the seller for a year of bills.
A Newfoundland and Labrador affordability example
A first-time buyer household earning $90,000, with a $25,000 down payment (closing costs come on top), $400 a month of other debts and an example rate of 4.12% over 25 years. The lender maximum is about $403,600 (TDS), and the deed and mortgage registration fees at that price come to $3,386.
| Household income | Down payment | Maximum price | Registration fees | Cash to close | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $65,000 | $15,000 | $269,800 | $2,335 | $20,035 | TDS |
| $90,000 | $25,000 | $403,600 | $3,386 | $31,086 | TDS |
| $120,000 | $45,000 | $557,900 | $4,562 | $52,262 | GDS |
| $155,000 | $75,000 | $745,300 | $5,942 | $83,642 | GDS |
Cash to close is the down payment, the two registration fees and our $2,700 planning estimate for legal fees, title insurance and an inspection. Get real quotes; legal fees in particular vary. Compared with a province that charges a transfer tax, more of your savings can go to the down payment, and every extra dollar down also trims the mortgage registration fee and the CMHC premium.
First-time buyers
With no transfer tax, first-time help in Newfoundland and Labrador comes from federal programs: the FHSA ($40,000 lifetime), the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan ($60,000 per person), the home buyers' amount (a $10,000 non-refundable credit, worth $1,400 for 2026), and the first-time GST rebate of up to $50,000 on new homes. A first-time buyer with an insured mortgage can also choose a 30-year amortization. See first-time home buyer programs.
Next steps
- Run your numbers in the affordability calculator with your property's tax rate and heating cost.
- Check the registration fees and other costs in the closing costs calculator.
- Work backwards from a listing with the income needed calculator.
Run the numbers for Newfoundland and Labrador
This calculator starts with Newfoundland and Labrador's transfer tax and first-time relief. Open your full affordability plan set to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Closing costs and land transfer tax calculator
Cash you need on closing day on top of your down payment.
| Registry of Deeds: deed registration | $2,698 |
|---|---|
| Registry of Deeds: mortgage registration | $2,511 |
| Legal / notary | $1,800 |
| Title insurance | $350 |
| Inspection / appraisal | $550 |
| Total | $7,909 |
Estimate, not advice. Your lawyer or notary prepares the final statement of adjustments, including property-tax and utility adjustments not shown here.
Closing costs $7,909, of which land transfer tax or fees $5,209.
Assumptions & sources
Assumptions
- Transfer tax is calculated on the purchase price (NB, PE and NS use the greater of price or assessed value).
- First-time buyer rebates assume you meet every condition (residency, occupancy, never owned).
- Legal, title insurance and inspection figures are our planning estimates; get quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a land transfer tax in Newfoundland and Labrador?
No. The province charges Registry of Deeds fees instead: $100 plus $0.40 for each $100 of value above $500, on the deed and again on the mortgage amount.
How much are registration fees on a $350,000 home in Newfoundland?
With the minimum down payment and an insured mortgage of about $345,800, $1,498 for the deed and $1,481 for the mortgage, $2,979 in total.
Is there PST on CMHC insurance in Newfoundland and Labrador?
No. CMHC lists only Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan as provinces where provincial sales tax applies to the premium.
How much house can I afford in Newfoundland on $90,000?
About $403,600 with $25,000 down, $400 a month of other debts, an example 4.12% rate, an example 0.75% property tax and $100 a month for heat.
Primary sources
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador — Registry of Deeds schedule of fees. Checked .
- CMHC — Calculating GDS / TDS. Checked .
- OSFI — Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages (Guideline B-20). Checked .
- CMHC — Homeowner mortgage loan insurance: Purchase (eligibility). Checked .
- Government of Alberta — Land Titles and Surveys common documents fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026). Checked .
- Saskatchewan Registry Services (ISC) — Land titles fees table (effective April 15, 2026). Checked .