Real Estate Investing 101: Calculating and Interpreting Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)

Feb 16, 2023

Understanding Debt Service Coverage Ratios (DSCR) in Real Estate Investing

by Vanessa Saunders.

Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) is an essential financial ratio used in real estate investing to evaluate a property’s ability to generate cash flow and repay debt. In this post, we will discuss what DSCR is, how to calculate it, and why it matters for real estate investors.

Section 1: What is Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)?

DSCR is a financial ratio that measures the relationship between a property’s net operating income (NOI) and its debt service. NOI is the income generated by a property after deducting all operating expenses, while debt service is the amount of money required to repay the property’s mortgage or other debt.

DSCR is calculated by dividing the property’s NOI by its debt service. The resulting ratio indicates how often the property’s NOI covers its debt service. For example, if a property has a DSCR of 1.5, it means that its NOI is 1.5 times greater than its debt service.

Lenders and investors use DSCR to evaluate a property’s financial performance, providing insight into the property’s ability to generate cash flow and repay debt. A high DSCR indicates that a property has strong cash flow and is capable of meeting its debt obligations, while a low DSCR suggests that a property may struggle to generate enough cash flow to service its debt.

Section 2: How to Calculate DSCR

Calculating DSCR is a straightforward process that involves two steps:

Step 1: Calculate Net Operating Income (NOI)

NOI is calculated by subtracting all operating expenses from the property’s gross income. Operating expenses include property taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, utilities, and property management fees.

For example, if a property generates $100,000 in gross income and has $30,000 in operating expenses, its NOI would be $70,000 ($100,000 – $30,000).

Step 2: Calculate Debt Service

Debt service is the amount required to repay the property’s mortgage or other debt. It includes both principal and interest payments.

For example, if a property has a mortgage payment of $50,000 per year, its debt service would be $50,000.

Step 3: Calculate DSCR

DSCR is calculated by dividing NOI by debt service. For example, if a property has an NOI of $70,000 and a debt service of $50,000, its DSCR would be 1.4 ($70,000 / $50,000).

Or for residential financing purposes, Debt service coverage ratio is calculated by taking the market rent schedule off the appraisal and subtracting mortgage principal and interest, real estate taxes, and homeowners insurance.

Section 3: Why DSCR Matters in Real Estate Investing

DSCR is an essential metric for real estate investors because it provides insight into a property’s ability to generate cash flow and repay debt. A high DSCR indicates that a property has strong cash flow and can meet its debt obligations, which can be attractive to lenders and investors.

Conversely, a low DSCR suggests that a property may struggle to generate enough cash flow to service its debt, making it more difficult to secure financing and negotiate favorable loan terms.

According to industry data, a DSCR of 1.25 or higher is generally considered a healthy ratio for commercial real estate investments. In contrast, a ratio of less than 1.0 indicates that the property is not generating enough cash flow to service its debt.

Section 4: DSCR vs. Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio

DSCR is often used in conjunction with another important financial ratio in real estate investing: the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. The LTV ratio measures the amount of debt relative to the property’s value.

Lenders use the LTV ratio to determine the risk of a loan. The higher the LTV ratio, the riskier the loan. Therefore, lenders often set maximum LTV ratios for different types of properties. For example, a lender may require a maximum LTV ratio of 75% for a commercial property and 80% for a residential property.

While DSCR and LTV ratios provide essential information about a property’s financial health, they measure different things. DSCR measures the property’s ability to generate cash flow and service debt, while the LTV ratio measures the amount of debt relative to the property’s value.

In general, lenders use DSCR and LTV ratios together to evaluate the risk of a loan. For example, a lender may require a minimum DSCR of 1.25 and a maximum LTV ratio of 75% for a commercial property.

In Conclusion:

DSCR is an important financial ratio that measures a property’s ability to generate cash flow and service debt. It is calculated by dividing the property’s NOI by its debt service. DSCR is a key metric that lenders and investors use to evaluate the financial health of a property. Generally, a DSCR of 1.25 or higher is considered healthy for commercial real estate investments. DSCR is often used in conjunction with other financial ratios, such as the LTV ratio, to evaluate the risk of a loan. As a real estate investor, it is important to understand DSCR and other financial ratios to make informed investment decisions.