How Does DSCR Affect Multifamily Refinancing?
Debt Service Coverage Ratio, or DSCR, is an important metric when evaluating a multifamily refinance loan. It measures the relationship between a property's Net Operating Income and its debt service. For investors refinancing an apartment building, DSCR helps show whether the property's current income is sufficient to support the proposed loan payments. The calculation is straightforward: NOI is divided by annual debt service. A DSCR of 1.0 means the property generates exactly enough NOI to cover its debt payments. A higher ratio indicates more income relative to the required debt service. For multifamily term financing, a DSCR of approximately 1.20x to 1.25x is typically used as a qualification benchmark for favorable terms. The exact requirement depends on the financing structure and lender, but the basic relationship remains important. When investors approach multifamily mortgage lenders , they should look at DSCR together with NOI and property value rather than considerin...