DSCR Loan Airbnb 2026 Qualifier Calculator
DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans for short-term rentals qualify on the property's projected cash flow — not your personal income. This 2026 calculator computes the STR-adjusted DSCR after vacancy and management fees, then maps you to the 1.0 / 1.1 / 1.25 lender tiers.
| Gross STR income | — |
| Less vacancy | — |
| Effective gross income | — |
| Less management fee | — |
| Less other opex | — |
| Net operating income (NOI) | — |
| Proposed PITI (debt service) | — |
| STR DSCR (NOI / PITI) | — |
| Qualifying status | — |
A DSCR loan qualifies investors based on the property's cash flow, not the borrower's W-2 or tax returns. The Debt Service Coverage Ratio = Net Operating Income / Mortgage PITI. For short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo, Furnished Finder), most lenders use AirDNA or Rabbu projections after deducting vacancy and management costs. Last updated May 2026.
How 2026 STR DSCR Is Calculated
Start with gross monthly STR revenue (the AirDNA "Rentalizer" or Rabbu projection). Deduct a vacancy allowance — typically 25-35% for STRs, much higher than the 5% used for long-term rentals. Deduct a management fee (20-30% for full-service STR managers, lower if self-managed). Subtract recurring operating expenses (cleaning, utilities, supplies, platform fees). The result is your Net Operating Income. Divide NOI by monthly PITI — that's your DSCR.
DSCR Tiers and 2026 Rate Pricing
Most STR-friendly lenders price by DSCR tier: 1.0+ DSCR = property exactly covers debt service, base rate (often 8.25-9.0% in 2026). 1.1+ DSCR = 10% cash flow cushion, 0.25-0.5% rate discount. 1.25+ DSCR = strong cushion, best pricing tier with 0.5-0.75% rate discount and up to 80% LTV. A few specialty lenders accept 0.75-0.99 DSCR ("no-ratio" DSCR loans) with rate add-ons of 1-2% and lower LTV (typically 65-70%). Compare DSCR programs across CFPB-regulated Non-QM lenders.
Why STR DSCR Is Harder Than LTR DSCR
Long-term rental DSCR uses the appraiser's Form 1007 market rent — predictable and lender-trusted. Short-term rental DSCR depends on (1) actual operating history if 12+ months exist, or (2) third-party STR projections (AirDNA, Rabbu, AllTheRooms) for new listings. Lenders haircut projection-based numbers by 10-25% because STR income is more volatile. Markets with STR regulation risk (NYC, Honolulu, much of CA) are excluded by many DSCR lenders entirely — confirm your zip code is on the lender's approved list before committing to a property.
Common DSCR Airbnb Mistakes
(1) Ignoring STR-specific vacancy — using a 5% LTR vacancy on Airbnb math kills your loan application when the underwriter recalculates at 30%. (2) Forgetting platform & cleaning fees — Airbnb host fees (~3%) + cleaning passed back as opex eat 5-8% of revenue. (3) Not checking municipal STR rules — a property in a banned or capped zone tanks both your appraisal and rental income overnight. (4) Submitting AirDNA "Top Performer" data instead of "Average" — underwriters use the average. (5) Overlooking reserves — most STR-DSCR programs require 6-12 months PITI in reserves on top of the down payment.
Sources: AirDNA Rentalizer methodology, CFPB Non-QM oversight, lender DSCR program guidelines 2026.