See Debt Service Coverage Ratio


Frequently Asked Questions about Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)

DSCR stands for Debt Service Coverage Ratio. It measures a property’s ability to generate enough income to cover its debt obligations.

DSCR = Net Operating Income (NOI) ÷ Total Debt Service. The ratio indicates how many times income covers the debt payments.

DSCR is a key risk metric used by lenders and investors to assess whether a property can meet its debt obligations from operating income.

Lenders generally require a DSCR of at least 1.20x, meaning the property generates 20% more income than is needed to cover debt payments.

Both are lender risk metrics. DSCR measures income relative to annual debt payments, while Debt Yield = NOI ÷ Loan Amount and reflects return on the lender’s capital.



Click here to get this CRE Glossary in an eBook (PDF) format.