Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR)
The definition of debt coverage ratio (DCR) or debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) is on the pages of all finance coursebooks. It reveals the ability of an individual - but most often of a company - to pay off what it owes (principal, interest, commissions) over a period of time. The higher it is, the better.
Debt coverage ratio (DCR) or debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) is the result obtained after dividing the net operating income to the debt service. Maybe we should also explain what the debt service is, as it may sound too abstract. The debt service refers to all the cash needed to cover the cost generated by a debt (loan or leasing agreement). The net operating income is the difference between a company’s revenues or turnover and its operating costs, the equivalent of earnings before interest and tax (EBIT).
The debt coverage ratio (DCR) is used both in accounting, when a company wants to find whether it’s able to pay all its debts in time or not, as well as in lending, when a lender may verify the creditworthiness of an applicant. When the result is subunitary, the mission bells should start ringing.
In real estate, the debt coverage ratio (DCR) is used to identify the rentability of a real estate investment, for example, during a SWOT analysis. If a rental property generates a net income of $5,000 a month and the monthly payment for a mortgage is $4,000, the DCR is 1.25 - very close to the inferior threshold of 1.2 below which a rental property hardly pays for itself, so it might turn out to be a very bad investment. The DCR can be increased only by augmenting the net operating income, like increasing the rent or by cutting other business expenses.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Prepayment to a landlord for refurbishing the unit beyond what would be anticipated from customary wear and tear. It is like a damage deposit. The security deposit may be refunded at the ...
Property devoted to only one such as a medical building. ...
Tank placed beneath the ground to accumulate sewage. ...
Span of time a rental agreement is free to the occupant. A landlord may offer this as an incentive to stimulate rentals. For example, an owner of an office building may provide a free ...
The definition of obligor is a position that comes from obligation and indicates a party that has ‘promised’ to perform a specific act. In the financing world, an obligor is ...
(1) Judgment against a defendant who does not respond to the plaintiffs lawsuit or fails to appear in court at the hearing or trial date. (2) Judgment issued by the court against the ...
Mock closing; all information is available prior to an actual closing in order to insure all documents are properly executed by the appropriate parties. A preclosing is normally used only ...
(1) Judges remark in a court ruling not in and of itself embodying the law. A dictum merely illustrates or amplifies the ruling. (2) Arbitrator's ruling. ...
Same as term REIT: Type of investment company that invests money in mortgages and various types of investment in real estate, in order to earn profits for shareholders. Shareholders receive ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.