What You Need to Qualify

DSCR Loan Requirements

DSCR rental loans qualify on a property's cash flow — not your personal income, W-2s, or tax returns. This page walks through every requirement Pimlico Capital uses to underwrite a 30-year DSCR loan, plus the documents you'll need to close.

Get a DSCR rate Call (410) 855-4600
Rental property exterior
DSCR Loans
1.0xMinimum DSCR we accept
660Minimum FICO score
80% LTVMaximum on purchase or rate-and-term
Lending Parameters

How a DSCR loan qualifies

The property's cash flow does the qualifying — no personal income, W-2s, or tax returns.

Min DSCR
1.0x
Gross monthly rent must cover full PITIA at closing.
Max LTV
80%
On purchases and rate-and-term refinances.
Cash-out LTV
75%
On cash-out refinances.
Min FICO
660
700+ unlocks better pricing and higher LTV.
The ratio
DSCR=Gross Rent÷PITIA≥1.0x

How we calculate DSCR

  • PITIA = principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and any HOA.
  • Actual lease used when one is in place; otherwise the appraiser's market rent from nearby comparable rentals.
  • 1.2x and above typically unlocks better pricing and higher LTV.
Full DSCR calculation walkthrough →

Credit

Minimum
660
FICO to qualify
Better pricing
700+
plus higher LTV
  • Soft pull at pre-qualification; hard pull only at full submission.
  • No perfect credit needed — recent lates or collections are reviewed in context.
  • No bankruptcy in 4 years; no foreclosure in 3 years; short sales case-by-case.
Full 2026 DSCR credit-score breakdown →

LTV & the appraisal

Purchase / Rate-term
80%
maximum LTV
Cash-out
75%
maximum LTV

LTV is based on the appraised value at closing. Appraisals are ordered through approved AMCs — typically 7–14 business days.

Entity & titling

  • Close in an LLC, S-corp, or trust — personal-name closings allowed in most cases.
  • Foreign nationals can close through a US LLC — no US tax returns; the property income qualifies the loan.
  • Thousands of LLC titlings closed across 13 states (MD, VA, FL, PA, NY, NJ, DE, NC, SC, GA, OH, IN, AL).

What we fund

  • Single-family rentals (SFR)
  • 2–4 unit small multifamily — duplex, triplex, quadplex
  • Condos with conforming HOA financials
  • Short-term rentals with verified booking history, where permitted
  • Townhouses & row homes — Baltimore, Philadelphia, DC

What we don't

  • Owner-occupied properties
  • Raw land
  • Mobile homes
  • Properties needing significant rehab before they can be rented
The Differentiator

What we DON'T require

What most lenders ask for that we don't — these are the things that make our process faster than a conventional shop.

No personal income verification. No W-2s, no pay stubs, no employment letters.
No personal tax returns. The property's rental income qualifies the loan.
No DTI (debt-to-income) calculation. Your other personal debts don't factor in.
No reserves outside the loan. We don't require 6–12 months of reserves in a separate account like some lenders do.
No prepayment penalty on most products. Pay off early without a fee.
Checklist

Documents you'll need

A typical complete file looks like this.

Government-issued photo ID for each borrower / guarantor
LLC operating agreement and EIN (if closing in an entity)
Property address, purchase contract (or current loan statement if refinancing)
Current lease, or projected rents and comparable rentals if vacant
Property insurance binder (we can recommend brokers)
Two most recent personal bank statements (for closing-cost verification only)

Common Questions

Can I qualify for a DSCR loan with no rental experience?
Yes. We fund first-time landlords on the same terms as experienced investors. As long as the property's rental income covers the PITIA at 1.0x DSCR, the loan can close.
What's the minimum DSCR ratio you'll accept?
1.0x. That means the property's rent covers the mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and HOA in full. Higher DSCR ratios typically get better pricing.
Do I need to show personal income or tax returns?
No. DSCR loans qualify entirely on the property's cash flow. We don't ask for W-2s, pay stubs, or tax returns — that's the core differentiator vs. a conventional rental loan.
Can foreign nationals get a DSCR loan?
Yes. Foreign-national borrowers close through a US LLC. No US tax returns required. We've closed on FL, NY, and MD LLCs owned by foreign individuals routinely.
Will a DSCR loan show on my personal credit report?
Usually no, because the loan is in the entity's name (LLC, S-corp, trust). However, the personal guarantee is reported in some scenarios. We'll walk you through the specifics on your call.
What's the minimum and maximum loan amount?
$75K minimum, $1.5M maximum per property. Larger portfolio loans (covering multiple properties under one structure) are available — contact us for portfolio terms.
How long does it take to close a DSCR loan?
Typically 3–4 weeks from a complete file. The appraisal and title work are usually the longest items. Rate-and-term refinances on stabilized rentals can sometimes close faster.
Can I use a DSCR loan to refinance a property I bought with hard money?
Absolutely — this is one of our most common scenarios. Once the property is rehabbed, leased, and stabilized, we can refinance the bridge loan into a 30-year DSCR. Cash-out vs. rate-and-term refi walkthrough →
How It Works

From first call to funded.

1

Submit the deal

Get a quote online or call us. We'll size the deal in 24 hours.

2

Underwriting

Our in-house team underwrites the file — not an algorithm or a remote committee.

3

Close & fund

5–10 business days for bridge, 3–4 weeks for 30-year rental.

Investor Education

From the Blog

Investor playbooks and explainers from our team. See the full library on our blog.

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55+ investor guides covering DSCR, bridge loans, fix-and-flip, BRRRR, market updates, and more.

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