Home / DSCR / A 12-month lease is the clean DSCR file.
Updated September 2026
DSCR guide
A 12-month lease is the clean DSCR file.
Long-term rental DSCR uses the lease you can prove, checked against market rent. On a purchase we use the lower of the in-place lease or market rent. A proposed lease you have not started does not qualify the file. On a refinance, a rent receipt lets us use the lease amount up to about 115% of market. Vacant units do not get full credit on every screen. About 1.00x covers the payment. About 1.25x usually prices better.
Sending a file is not an approval and not a credit pull. We text the same business day. We do not call. If we can structure it, we name the door. If we cannot, we say so.
The screen
| Deal | Rent we can use |
|---|---|
| Purchase | Lower of in-place lease or market |
| Refinance with receipt | Lease, up to about 115% of market |
| Vacant unit | Often reduced or zero, by screen |
| STR instead | Different rent rules. Use the STR page |
What we fund
- Single-family and 2 to 4 unit leases
- Rate-and-term or cash-out on a rented house
- LLC vesting
What we still need. Short list.
- Credit is still reviewed. A lower score changes leverage, it does not skip the file.
- Reserves and down payment, sourced, when that screen asks for them.
- Appraisal plus a lease, market rent, or a short-term rent schedule.
- Entity documents if you close in an LLC.
Questions
Does a signed lease I just wrote count on a purchase?
Not as in-place rent. Purchases use the lower of a real in-place lease or market rent.
What is PITIA?
Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA. DSCR is gross rent divided by that payment.
Can the ratio be under 1.0?
Yes on Flexible DSCR, from 620, with reserves. It is not the same price as a 1.25x lease.
Related
These are the guidelines we screen. They are not a promise that your file hits the maximum. Credit-event seasoning, occupancy, and property condition still have to be confirmed. Not a commitment to lend. We text. We do not call.