Does rental income from a 2 family home help me qualify for a mortgage?

Rental income from a two-family home can count toward mortgage qualification, since many lenders will credit a share of that income against a buyer's debt-to-income ratio. How much counts depends on the loan program, whether the buyer has prior landlord experience, and whether the income is backed by a lease or an appraiser's rent schedule. This is one reason a two-family purchase can let a buyer qualify for a larger loan than a single-family home at the same price would allow. A lender can confirm the exact treatment for a specific property before an offer goes in.