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By David Ghazaryan, NMLS 1486726, iQRATE Mortgages (NMLS 1862492). Updated October 29, 2026.
Short answer: For a DSCR loan on an Orlando short-term rental, compare lenders that publish Florida DSCR or vacation-rental terms. Published programs we checked allow up to 80% LTV with minimum credit scores from about 640 to 680 (varies by lender). First confirm the address allows nightly stays: the City of Orlando limits whole-home rentals to certain zoning districts. iQRATE Mortgages compares lenders for each property.
A DSCR loan qualifies an Orlando rental on its income compared with the full payment (PITIA: principal, interest, taxes, insurance and any HOA dues), not on your tax returns or W-2s. For a short-term rental, the lender also has to accept nightly income, and the property has to be legal for nightly stays at that address. In the Orlando area that answer changes at the city and county line, so check the jurisdiction before you write an offer.
Our Orlando mortgage broker page covers local loan programs and buyer options.
Many Orlando-area vacation homes sit in Osceola County around Kissimmee. Osceola County runs a short-term rental overlay map and a short term rental planned development (STRPD) district, and it asks owners to confirm zoning, get a DBPR vacation rental license and then register a Local Business Tax Receipt. Owners or their agents collect and remit the county's tourist tax themselves, because the county is not contracted with booking platforms.
See our Kissimmee mortgage broker page for local options.
Varies by lender. Published parameters, not an offer. Figures are from lenders' public program pages checked Oct 26, 2026. Lenders are not named. Florida coverage comes from each lender's own Florida page, state list, map or licensing statement. Where a page does not publish a figure, the table says so.
| Program | Minimum DSCR | Maximum LTV | Minimum credit score | Property types and short-term rental rules | Florida coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program A (Orlando DSCR program) | 1.0x or higher | 80%; cash-out up to 75% | 660 (620 with exceptions); short-term rental DSCR loans: 680 | Single family, 2-4 units, condo, short-term rental; STR income from a 12-month platform history or a 1007 rent schedule; STR loans need at least 25% down and 6 months PITIA reserves | Orlando program page; licensed in CA, AZ, FL, GA and TX |
| Program B (vacation rental DSCR) | Not stated | Up to 80% on purchases and refinances | 680 | Qualifies on historical short-term rental income or market-based projections; non-owner-occupied 1-4 unit investment property | Florida shown on the lender's lending map |
| Program C (statewide Florida DSCR) | No minimum DSCR | Up to 80% on purchases and refinances; 75% cash-out | 640 | Up to 10 units, including mixed use and short-term rentals | Lends statewide in Florida, including Orlando |
| Program D (business-purpose rental loans) | Not stated | Up to 80% on certain rental products | 680 average FICO generally required | Not stated | Florida on the lender's state list; commercial-purpose loans only, entity borrowers only in certain states |
Varies by lender; published parameters, not an offer. iQRATE Mortgages is not affiliated with these lenders, and inclusion is not an endorsement or a commitment to lend. No interest rate, APR or payment is quoted on this page.
More on rental financing: DSCR loans, investor loans, portfolio loans and non-QM loans. Florida investors can also see Florida mortgage broker and Tampa. Buying a vacation home with foreign funds? See foreign national DSCR loans; own 10 or more rentals already? See loans for serial investors. For a longer walkthrough, read our blog guide to DSCR loans for Orlando short-term rentals. Call (702) 766-3744 or start an application.
Lenders that publish Florida DSCR terms and accept vacation-rental income. On the pages we checked Oct 26, 2026, one retail lender runs an Orlando DSCR program that accepts Airbnb and VRBO income, one lender runs a dedicated vacation rental program, one lends statewide in Florida including Orlando, and one business-purpose lender lists Florida. iQRATE Mortgages compares programs like these across more than 100 lenders for each property. Terms vary by lender.
Generally not under home sharing. Orlando's ordinance allows stays of less than 30 days only when the resident lives on site and is present, with one booking at a time and no more than half of the home used. A whole-property rental is a Commercial Dwelling Unit, limited to certain zoning districts and requiring a Business Tax Receipt. Check the parcel's zoning before you count nightly income.
Orange County permits short-term rental (179 days or less) only in commercial and industrial districts C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1 / I-5, I-2 / I-3 and I-4, or in Planned Developments that expressly allow it. Single-family transient rental of less than 30 days is permitted only in R-3. Both are prohibited in all other zoning districts.
Osceola County says to verify the parcel on its short-term rental overlay map, get a DBPR vacation rental license, and register a Local Business Tax Receipt with the Tax Collector. Owners or agents collect and remit the county's 6% Tourist Development Tax on stays of less than 180 days, because the county is not contracted with booking platforms.
Florida's 6 percent transient rentals tax under Statutes 212.03, plus any discretionary sales surtax, reported to the Department of Revenue. On top of that, Orange County and Osceola County each levy a 6% tourist development tax. In Orange County the return goes to the Comptroller every month, even if no tax was collected, and the owner stays responsible if a manager fails to pay.
Yes, if you rent the entire unit more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or 1 calendar month, whichever is less, or advertise it as regularly rented to guests. The DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants issues a Vacation Rental – Condominium or Vacation Rental – Dwelling license. Renting single rooms only does not need this license.
It varies by lender. One published Orlando program accepts a 12-month platform history or a 1007 rent schedule, and another says it uses historical short-term rental income or market-based projections. A third shows a Florida short-term rental loan underwritten at 75% of a third-party market-data income estimate. Lenders also want the property to be legal for nightly stays.
Generally not. Regulation Z exempts credit extended primarily for a business purpose, and the CFPB's official interpretation treats credit to buy, improve or maintain a non-owner-occupied rental as business purpose. If you expect to live in the property more than 14 days in the coming year, it is not treated as non-owner-occupied.
Business-purpose loans on non-owner-occupied investment property only; not for a home you will live in. Credit extended primarily for a business purpose is exempt from Regulation Z under 12 CFR 1026.3(a). Not legal or tax advice; zoning, licensing and tax rules are summarized from public agency pages, so consult a CPA or attorney about tax, entity and legal questions. All loans subject to credit approval, property eligibility and lender guidelines; programs and terms vary by lender and may change without notice. Agency and lender facts checked October 26, 2026; page updated October 29, 2026. iQRATE Mortgages, NMLS 1862492. David Ghazaryan, NMLS 1486726. (702) 766-3744. Equal Housing Opportunity. Verify licensing at NMLS Consumer Access.
