Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rate hold: lock today’s rate for 90 to 120 days.

A rate hold reserves a mortgage rate for you — typically 90 to 120 days — while you house-hunt or wait to close. If rates rise, you keep the held rate. If they fall, many lenders will give you the lower one. It’s free protection against a volatile market.

90–120 day windowsFree to secureRises can’t reach youDrops still benefit youTies to pre-approval100+ lender holds

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Written by the Mortgage Squad Advisors Editorial Team · Reviewed by Surrayya Afzal, Principal Broker, FSRA #M14001433 · Updated July 2026

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Between the day you decide to buy and the day your mortgage funds, weeks or months pass — and rates don’t sit still. Bond yields move on inflation data; the Bank of Canada shifts prime. If you have no protection and rates climb during that gap, your budget can shrink out from under an offer you’ve already made. A mortgage rate hold closes that exposure: it reserves a specific rate for a set window, usually 90 to 120 days, so a rising market can’t reach you. With many lenders you still capture a drop if rates fall. It costs nothing to put in place — and going without it is a gamble on timing you don’t need to take.

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On this page

What is a mortgage rate hold, and how does it work?
How long is a rate hold — and the 90 to 120 day window
How a rate hold protects you in a volatile market
Rate hold vs rate lock, and the fine print that matters
Getting a rate hold across 100+ lenders
FAQ

What is a mortgage rate hold, and how does it work?

A mortgage rate hold is a promise from a lender to reserve a specific rate for you for a set period — most commonly 90 to 120 days. During that window, the reserved rate is yours to claim when your mortgage funds, no matter what the broader market does. It’s usually attached to a pre-approval, which is why house-hunters lean on it: you get a firm number to budget and shop with, rather than a moving target. Crucially, a rate hold costs nothing and carries no obligation — if your plans change or you don’t find a home, the hold simply lapses with no penalty.

The mechanics are straightforward. Once you’re pre-approved, the lender flags a rate against your file and starts the clock. From that moment, a rising market can’t touch the reserved rate. You go house-hunting, make offers, and wait to close knowing the financing side is pinned down. When you finalize your purchase and the mortgage funds inside the window, the held rate applies. It’s one of the few genuinely no-downside tools in the mortgage process — which is why, once you’re seriously looking, there’s rarely a reason to shop without one. To see where the market sits before you hold, start at our mortgage rates hub.

How long is a rate hold — and the 90 to 120 day window

Most rate holds in Canada run 90 to 120 days (the FCAC cites 60 to 130 days depending on the lender¹), though shorter windows exist depending on the lender and product. The 120-day hold is the workhorse for buyers still searching, because it gives real runway: time to house-hunt, lose a bidding war or two, negotiate, and still close before the clock runs out. Shorter holds tend to attach to files that are further along — an accepted offer with a firm closing date, for instance, where 120 days of protection isn’t needed.

The window matters because it defines your protection. If you’re early in your search, a longer hold buys more certainty; if you’re close to closing, a shorter one is plenty. The risk to watch is a hold expiring before you fund — in a slow market or a drawn-out search, 120 days can pass. When that happens, we don’t leave you exposed: we arrange a re-hold or move your file to a lender offering a fresh window at a comparable rate. Because we track every expiry date across your file, the end of a window is something we plan around, never something that surprises you at the worst moment. Watching the rate forecast and the prime rate helps us time a re-hold sensibly.

How a rate hold protects you in a volatile market

The entire value of a rate hold shows up when rates move — and in a volatile market, they move a lot. Between the day you’re approved and the day you fund, bond yields can jump on an inflation print and the Bank of Canada can shift prime. Without protection, a mid-hunt rate spike can quietly shrink your buying power or strain an offer you’ve already made. A hold caps that risk: if rates rise during your window, you keep the reserved rate and the increase simply can’t reach your file. Your budget stays the budget you planned around.

And the protection is asymmetric in your favour. If rates fall before you close, many lenders let you take the lower rate instead, so a hold effectively hands you the better of the two outcomes. You’re shielded from the downside and still open to the upside. The exact float-down policy varies by lender, so we confirm the terms on your specific hold up front and watch the market through your window to make sure you land on the lower number if one appears. In an environment where rates can swing meaningfully in a matter of weeks, that combination — no exposure to increases, still eligible for decreases, at no cost — is about as close to a free lunch as mortgages offer.

Rate hold vs rate lock, and the fine print that matters

You’ll hear both rate hold and rate lock, and in Canadian practice they usually mean the same thing: a rate reserved for a defined period. Some people reserve ‘lock’ for the final commitment at closing and ‘hold’ for the earlier reservation tied to a pre-approval, but functionally both secure a specific rate against a moving market for a set window. Don’t get hung up on the label — focus on the terms behind it.

And there are terms. A held rate is conditional: it applies to a specific product and term, assumes your file closes within the window and stays materially the same, and its float-down policy (whether and how you capture a drop) differs by lender. Changing the mortgage type, the property, or your financial picture can affect the hold. None of this is a catch — it’s simply the fine print, and the value of working with a broker is that we read every line of it before you rely on it. We tell you the window, the conditions, the float-down policy, and the expiry up front, so the protection you think you have is the protection you actually have. If you’re weighing where a hold fits alongside choices like fixed versus variable or open versus closed, we map those decisions together so the hold matches the mortgage you actually want.

Getting a rate hold across 100+ lenders

A rate hold protects a rate — but it’s only as good as the rate it protects. Reserving one bank’s number shields you from increases, yet if that number wasn’t sharp to begin with, you’ve locked in mediocre. That’s the difference between holding a rate and holding the right rate. Because every lender prices the same file differently, the sharpest available number comes from matching your profile to the lender built for it — and then holding that. We run your file past 100+ lenders, find the one priced for your situation, secure the hold there, and back it with our best-rate guarantee vs Big-6 like-for-like (see terms): bring us an eligible written Big-6 offer on a comparable product and we’ll benchmark it under the published terms.

The sequence is simple. Get pre-approved — and know why a real pre-approval beats a soft pre-qualification — let us shop the market for a competitive rate, then hold it for your 90 to 120 day window while you buy with confidence. To go deeper on the levers behind your rate, read what affects your mortgage rate and how to get the best rate. Mortgage Squad Advisors operates under FSRA brokerage licence #13737. When you’re ready, apply in minutes to start a hold, or ask Maya to explain your options right now — no credit check to begin.

What you get

Why Canadians choose Mortgage Squad Advisors.

Locks a specific mortgage rate for a set window, commonly 90 to 120 days

Protects your budget if rates rise while you shop, negotiate, or wait to close

Many lenders still give you the lower rate if the market drops before funding

Costs nothing to secure — a rate hold is free protection, not a purchase

Usually tied to a pre-approval, so you shop with a firm number in hand

Gives sellers confidence your financing is real, strengthening your offer

Buys time in a bidding market without racing the rate clock

Held rates come with conditions — we explain every one up front

Access holds across 100+ lenders, not just one bank’s window

Best-rate guarantee vs Big-6 like-for-like (see terms), FSRA licence #13737

How it works

Three simple steps, no pressure.

Get pre-approved

A rate hold rides on a pre-approval, so we start there: a quick review of your income, credit, and down payment. It takes minutes, and once you’re pre-approved we can reserve a rate against your file — no purchase agreement required to begin the clock.

Reserve the rate

We secure a hold with a lender priced for your profile — typically a 90 to 120 day window. The rate is now reserved: if the market climbs, you keep the held number. You house-hunt, negotiate, or wait to close with a firm rate locked behind you, at no cost.

Close — or capture a drop

When you finalize your purchase and the mortgage funds within the window, the held rate applies. And if rates fall before you close, many lenders let you take the lower rate instead. We watch the market for you and make sure you land on the better of the two.

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FAQ

Common questions, answered.

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What is a mortgage rate hold?

A mortgage rate hold reserves a specific rate for you for a set period — commonly 90 to 120 days — so that rate is available when your mortgage funds (subject to the lender’s conditions), even if market rates rise in the meantime¹. It’s usually attached to a pre-approval and costs nothing to put in place. Think of it as parking a rate: the market can move, but the number reserved for you doesn’t move against you during the window.

How long does a rate hold last?

Most rate holds run 90 to 120 days; the FCAC describes holds of 60 to 130 days depending on the lender¹, and some products carry shorter windows. The 120-day hold is common for buyers who are still house-hunting and need runway. If your window is about to expire and you haven’t closed, we can often arrange a re-hold or move your file to a lender with a fresh window — we track the expiry so it never catches you off guard.

Does a rate hold cost anything?

No. A rate hold is free to secure — you don’t pay to reserve the rate, and there’s no obligation to proceed if your plans change or you don’t find a home. It’s one of the few genuinely no-downside tools in a mortgage. Because it costs nothing and protects you against a rising market, there’s rarely a reason to shop without one once you’re seriously looking.

What happens to my rate hold if rates go up?

That’s exactly what a hold protects against. If market rates climb during your window, you keep the rate that was reserved for you — the increase can’t reach your file. This is the whole point: in a rising or volatile market, a hold caps your rate risk between the day you’re approved and the day you fund, so a mid-hunt rate jump doesn’t blow up your budget or your accepted offer.

What if rates go down during my hold?

Often, you benefit. Many lenders will honour a lower rate if the market drops before your mortgage funds, so a hold effectively gives you the better of the two — protection if rates rise, and the drop if they fall. The exact float-down terms vary by lender, so we confirm the policy on your specific hold up front. You get the upside without betting on the downside.

Is a rate hold the same as a rate lock?

The terms are often used interchangeably in Canada, and in practice they describe the same thing: a rate reserved for a set period. Some people use ‘rate lock’ for the moment you commit to a firm mortgage at closing and ‘rate hold’ for the earlier reservation tied to a pre-approval. Either way, the function is the same — a specific rate secured for you for a defined window so a rising market can’t change it.

Do I need a purchase agreement to get a rate hold?

No. A rate hold is typically secured against a pre-approval, before you’ve found a property — that’s what makes it useful for house-hunters. You get a firm rate to shop with while you search. Once you have an accepted offer, we finalize the mortgage against the held rate. If you already have a purchase agreement, even better; the hold simply protects your rate through to funding.

Does a rate hold guarantee I get the lowest possible rate?

It guarantees the reserved rate won’t rise on you, and with many lenders lets you capture a drop, but the sharpest rate still comes from matching your file to the right lender in the first place. That’s why we hold a competitive rate across 100+ lenders rather than reserving one bank’s number, and back it with our best-rate guarantee vs Big-6 like-for-like (see terms). A hold protects a good rate; shopping the market is what makes it a good rate to begin with.

Can I move my rate hold to a different lender or home?

The hold is tied to your file, so if your plans shift we have room to work. If you find a different property, the same hold generally carries to the new purchase as long as it’s within the window and your approval still fits. If a better opportunity appears at another lender, we can weigh moving your file. And if the window is running out before you close, we arrange a re-hold so you’re never left exposed.

Related products

Mortgage rates How rates are calculated What affects your rate Pre-approval Pre-approval vs pre-qualification Rate forecast Best mortgage rates Get the best rate

Sources & references

Figures on this page are sourced below and re-checked each quarter. Rates, insurer rules and lender policies change — confirm anything you plan to act on with a licensed advisor.

1. Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Getting pre-approved and qualifying for a mortgage (accessed Sep 2026) — A pre-approval may let you lock in an interest rate for 60 to 130 days, depending on the lender; it does not guarantee approval.

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