Short-Term Rental Financing
Finance Your Airbnb & VRBO Properties
Our STR Signal tool translates your short-term rental income into a DSCR that lenders accept. Platform statements, not tax returns.
STR Financing, Simplified
Most lenders use 75% of your trailing-12-month STR income for DSCR calculation. Our underwriting understands seasonal variation and accepts platform statements directly.
Example Scenario
Strong deal. Clear path to term sheet.
We Finance Every Type of STR
Whether it's a beachfront vacation home or a downtown apartment, we structure the loan around your STR income.
Vacation Homes
Beach houses, mountain cabins, lake properties — high-season income qualifies year-round.
Urban Apartments
City apartments in NYC, Miami, LA, Dallas — consistent demand from business and leisure travelers.
Luxury Properties
High-end homes with pools, views, and amenities that command premium nightly rates.
Top STR Markets We Finance
Active in every major market. We understand local regulations, seasonality, and demand drivers.
Miami
Year-round demand, beach proximity, strong ADR
New York
Business travel, tourism, high occupancy
Dallas
Growing market, event-driven demand, low entry
Los Angeles
Entertainment, tourism, premium nightly rates
Nashville
Music city tourism, bachelor/ette parties
Austin
Tech hub, SXSW, year-round events
What You'll Need
STR documentation is simpler than you think. Here's what most lenders require:
Platform Statements
Trailing 12 months from Airbnb, VRBO, or your booking platform
AirDNA Report
Market data showing comparable properties and revenue potential
Property Photos
Current listing photos showing the property and amenities
Operating Expenses
Cleaning, management, supplies, insurance — we help you calculate
Entity Docs
LLC operating agreement and EIN (we can close in your entity)
The STR Premium
Short-Term vs Long-Term: The Numbers
Same property. Same market. Dramatically different income.
Long-Term Rental
$2,200/mo
Short-Term Rental
$3,375/mo avg
How Occupancy Changes Your DSCR
10% occupancy difference can mean qualifying or not.
Conservative
65%
occupancy
$2,925/mo
0.95 DSCR
Needs Restructuring
Moderate
75%
occupancy
$3,375/mo
1.25 DSCR
Sweet Spot
Aggressive
85%
occupancy
$3,825/mo
1.55 DSCR
Strong
STR DSCR Calculation — Step by Step
Four numbers. That's all the lender needs.
Annual STR Revenue
$40,500
75% occupancy x $150/night x 365
Monthly Income
$3,375
$40,500 / 12 months
Monthly PITI
$2,700
P&I + taxes + insurance
DSCR Ratio
1.25
$3,375 / $2,700 = qualifies!
What Is an STR Loan?
An STR loan is a DSCR mortgage for a short-term rental — an Airbnb, VRBO, or direct-booked vacation property — that qualifies on the income the property produces instead of your personal income. There is no W-2 review, no tax returns, and no debt-to-income calculation: the question an STR lender asks is whether the property's normalized nightly revenue covers the monthly payment.
That makes STR financing structurally different from a second-home or vacation-home mortgage. Conventional lenders either ignore short-term rental income entirely or haircut it beyond recognition; an STR mortgage is underwritten on it. Revenue is established from your trailing-12-month booking history or, on a purchase, from market data like AirDNA — normalized for seasonality and occupancy so one strong summer doesn't overstate the year. Most investors close in an LLC, and 30-year fixed, interest-only, and ARM structures are all available.
As a direct private lender, 818 underwrites STR revenue with our own STR Signal model — occupancy, average daily rate, and regulatory status scored up front — so you know whether a deal clears before you spend on an appraisal. Rates price off DSCR strength, credit, and leverage, and the same program handles purchases, rate-and-term refinances, and cash-out refinances for operators pulling equity out of one property to buy the next.
Common questions.
What is an STR loan?
A DSCR loan for a short-term rental property. It qualifies on the property's Airbnb/VRBO revenue — actual or market-projected — instead of your personal income, tax returns, or DTI.
Can I finance an Airbnb without tax returns?
Yes. STR loans qualify on the property's short-term rental income — projected or actual — not your W-2 or tax returns.
How is short-term rental income calculated?
We normalize an AirDNA market projection or your 12-month booking history into a stabilized monthly figure for the DSCR, adjusting for seasonality and occupancy.
What down payment do I need for an STR loan?
Typically 25% down — up to 75% LTV on a purchase.
What credit score does an STR loan require?
680+ opens the program. The property's DSCR carries more underwriting weight than your score — we need STR DSCR ≥ 1.0 on AirDNA or verified operating history.
How is an STR loan different from a regular DSCR loan?
Same structure, different income math. A standard DSCR loan uses market long-term rent; an STR loan uses normalized short-term rental revenue, which is usually higher but requires occupancy and seasonality analysis.
Can I refinance or cash-out an existing STR?
Yes. Operators regularly use STR cash-out refinances to pull equity from a stabilized property and fund the next acquisition — your booking history becomes the qualifying income.
Do short-term rental regulations affect approval?
Yes — confirm the city and HOA permit short-term rentals before you close; we verify regulatory status in diligence, and it's scored in STR Signal up front.
Run Your STR Through STR Signal
Enter your STR income and property details. We'll normalize and score it.