The City of Saskatoon requires a building permit for a secondary suite before a lender will count that rental income toward your mortgage qualifying, so an unpermitted suite does not help you buy and does not add reliable income once you own it.
Taking on a tenant also means taking on obligations under Saskatchewan's Residential Tenancies Act from day one, handling deposits, entry notice and maintenance requests, which is a real second job layered onto being a first-time owner.
For a buyer ready to be a landlord and who confirms the suite is legally permitted, a two-family purchase can be a genuinely smart first move rather than just a bigger mortgage.
Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.