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St. Louis rental loans · DSCR

DSCR loans for St. Louis rentals, from city two-families to North County houses.

St. Louis rents are high against prices: Zillow's single-family rent index adds up to about 7.4% of the metro's typical home value each year, against 6.6% in Kansas City. Our DSCR loans qualify a rental on that rent, start at a $75,000 loan amount, and can be made to you personally or to your LLC.

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Market data

St. Louis rents against prices, September 2026

The city's yearly rent runs close to 9% of its typical value; St. Charles County's runs under 5.5%. Where you buy sets how hard the rent has to work.
St. Louis rents against prices, September 2026
MeasureSt. LouisChangeSource and month
Typical rent, single-family homes (metro)$1,689+4.7% in a yearZillow Observed Rent Index, single-family, Sep 2026
Typical rent, all homes (metro)$1,427+4.1% in a year (US +2.7%)Zillow Observed Rent Index, Sep 2026
Gross yield, single-family rent ÷ typical value (metro)7.4%Kansas City: 6.6%Zillow ZORI ÷ ZHVI, Sep 2026
Gross yield, St. Louis City8.8%$1,287 rent on a $176,514 valueZillow ZORI ÷ ZHVI, Sep 2026
Gross yield, St. Louis County6.3%$1,490 rent on a $285,675 valueZillow ZORI ÷ ZHVI, Sep 2026
Gross yield, St. Charles County5.4%$1,664 rent on a $372,123 valueZillow ZORI ÷ ZHVI, Sep 2026
Effective property tax rate1.03% city · 1.20% county · 1.08% St. Charles · 0.80% Jefferson—Census ACS 5-year, median tax ÷ median value, 2020–2024
Home value change, St. Louis City+10.4% over five yearsMetro: +24.9%Zillow Home Value Index, Sep 2021 to Sep 2026

Yields here are a year of Zillow's all-homes rent as a percentage of its typical value, except the single-family row. The all-homes index mixes in apartments, so in lower-priced ZIPs it can overstate what a house rents for; lease comps on the same street are the better guide.

Where we lend

St. Louis rental areas by rent-to-price

Zillow's September 2026 typical value and rent, with yearly rent shown as a share of value. The ratio on your loan is set by the specific house and its lease.
  • Florissant and Hazelwood (North County)MOFlorissant $195,065 with $1,656 rent, about 10.2%; Hazelwood $162,752, about 10.6%. Among the strongest ratios in St. Louis County, on the county's 1.20% tax rate. The worked refinance below is set in Florissant.
  • South cityMOZIPs 63116, 63118 and 63139 carry typical values of about $177,000 to $223,000 and yearly rent of 7% to 8% of value, on the city's lower 1.03% tax rate. Older two- to four-unit buildings are part of the stock here.
  • Affton and LemayMOAffton at $243,269 with $1,614 rent, about 8.0%; Lemay at about $171,000. Unincorporated South County, so St. Louis County's own rules apply.
  • Arnold and Jefferson CountyMOArnold at about $273,000 and 7.9%, with the lowest property tax rate of the core counties at 0.80%. On the same rent, a lower tax line leaves more room in the ratio.
  • St. Peters, O'Fallon and St. Charles CountyMOSt. Peters at $320,850 and about 6.3%; O'Fallon at $378,128 and 5.8%. Newer housing on average, which can mean lighter repairs, but the rent covers less of the payment, so expect to bring more cash.

Loans in St. Louis

Rental financing in St. Louis

DSCR rental loans

Purchase or refinance a rental qualified on its lease, with prepayment options from none up to five years.

DSCR loans: terms

Bridge loans

Buying a vacant two-family that can't be leased yet? A bridge loan covers up to 95% of the cost at the start, interest only. Once tenants are in, refinance onto DSCR.

Bridge loans: terms

Fix and flip loans

For a gut rehab of an older house, the flip loan can cover the whole renovation budget on our published terms. Lease it when it's done and move it onto a rental loan, as in the example.

Fix and flip loans: terms

A local example

ILLUSTRATIVE · FLORISSANT, MO. REFINANCE AFTER REHAB

Round, illustrative numbers built on the market figures above. Not a quote.
Worked example

ILLUSTRATIVE · FLORISSANT, MO. REFINANCE AFTER REHAB

Rent: renovated three-bed, signed 12-month lease
$1,650
Appraised value after the work
$200,000
Principal & interest: $150,000 (75% of value), an example 30-year amortization at 7.25%
$1,023
Property tax: St. Louis County's 1.20% on value
$200
Landlord insurance (estimate, about 1.1% of value a year)
$185
Monthly payment (PITIA)
$1,408
DSCR: 1,650 ÷ 1,4081.17

Illustrative inputs, not a quote. We chose the value, rent, 75% loan, 7.25% rate and 30-year amortization for the math; your loan officer quotes refinance leverage and rate for your deal. For scale, Zillow put Florissant ZIP 63033 at a $198,803 typical value and $1,656 typical rent in September 2026. If the house cost $150,000 all-in, say $110,000 to buy and $40,000 of work, the new loan repays that before closing costs. The same house at the city's 1.03% tax rate would run 1.20; at $1,550 rent it drops to 1.10.

Before you close in St. Louis

St. Louis details that change a rental's numbers

City or county changes the tax lineThe city's effective rate (1.03%) sits below the county's (1.20%). On the $200,000 example house that's about $28 a month, worth 0.03 of DSCR. The two have separate assessors, so look up the bill with the right one.
The appraisal decides a city refinanceZillow's St. Louis City index slipped 0.4% over the year and rose about 10% over five, against roughly 25% for the metro. When you refinance a city rehab, the loan follows the appraised value, so plan on recent renovated sales nearby, not on the metro trend.
2027 reassessmentMissouri reassesses in odd-numbered years. A house bought or renovated in 2026 may not show its new value in the tax bill until 2027, so budget taxes on the value you'll refinance at rather than the bill you inherit.
Short-term rental rulesIn the city, Ordinance 72095 (effective February 23, 2026) requires a business license and a 3% fee on short-term rent; parts of the 2023 rules remain tied up after a 2025 court ruling. St. Charles County charges a 5% sleeping-room tax on them. Check the current rules for the address before relying on nightly income.
Rental inspections by municipalityThe city and many St. Louis County municipalities run their own occupancy or rental inspection programs. A failed inspection can hold up a new lease, and the lease is what supports the rent on your loan.

St. Louis loans

Tell us about the rental. We'll size the loan on its rent.

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United Lending LLC offers business-purpose financing secured by non-owner-occupied investment real estate. We do not offer loans for personal, family or household purposes, or loans on owner-occupied primary residences.

Questions

DSCR loans in St. Louis: questions

How does a DSCR loan work on a St. Louis two-family or four-family?

The math is the same as on a house: the combined rent of the units is measured against one monthly payment. Tell us the unit count, the leases and the price, and your loan officer will confirm on the call how we'd size a loan on the building.

Is a rental easier to qualify in the city or the county?

On Zillow's September 2026 figures, the city's yearly rent ran about 8.8% of its typical value against 6.3% in St. Louis County and 5.4% in St. Charles County, and the city's tax rate is lower too. City values have been flat, though, so the appraisal matters more there on a refinance.

Can I refinance a St. Louis rehab into a DSCR loan?

Yes, that's the illustrative Florissant example: buy and renovate with a bridge or flip loan, lease the house, then refinance onto a DSCR loan. On a cash-out refinance we lend up to 80% of the appraised value, and up to 85% on a purchase. These are separate limits from the 620 credit and 0.75 DSCR minimums, not one combined offer: the highest leverage goes to stronger credit and rent coverage, and a lower score or ratio means lower leverage. Any seasoning period is confirmed on your call.

What DSCR do you need on a St. Louis rental?

Our minimum DSCR is 0.75, and the lower the ratio, the lower the leverage; we set yours deal by deal on the call. Build in room: the example house runs 1.17 on a $1,650 lease, and a $100 lower rent opinion from the appraiser takes it to 1.10.

Do you lend on lower-priced St. Louis rentals?

Our minimum DSCR loan is $75,000. Tell us the price, rent and condition, and you'll know whether the loan fits before you pay for an appraisal.

Can short-term rental income count on a St. Louis property?

Check the local rules first. The city requires a business license and a 3% fee on short-term rent under Ordinance 72095, and St. Charles County taxes sleeping rooms at 5%. Have the license or registration in hand when we talk, and we'll explain how we'd look at that income.

Sources (6)Checked November 4, 2026

United Lending's own loan terms come from its published program limits as of the date above. Market figures and rules come from the public sources listed here. Your actual terms depend on the property, your credit and experience, and underwriting.

  1. Zillow Research: home values (ZHVI), rents (ZORI), days to pending, sale prices, inventory and forecasts, September 2026 release
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year, B25103 median real estate taxes paid, by county
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year, B25077 median home value, by county
  4. Missouri State Tax Commission, Assessor Manual ch. 2: residential property at 19%, odd-year reassessment
  5. City of St. Louis: Ordinance 72095, short-term rental business license and 3% fee on rent (effective Feb 23, 2026)
  6. KMOV / First Alert 4 (Feb 4, 2026): St. Louis short-term rental rules after the 2025 court ruling