Self-Storage Financing.
Every Lender. Every Market.
Climate-controlled, drive-up standard, and multi-story urban facilities. 30 markets covered. Life company, CMBS, bank, SBA, and specialty debt fund execution. Closed by a broker who knows the lender desks, not one who's learning the asset class on your deal.
Three Self-Storage Programs. One Broker.
Self-storage underwriting varies materially by facility type. Climate-controlled assets attract life company and CMBS execution at tighter spreads. Drive-up facilities lean on regional banks and SBA. Multi-story urban ground-up requires construction lenders who understand the lease-up timeline. We work across all three.
Climate-Controlled Self-Storage
Urban and suburban climate-controlled facilities with premium rents. Preferred by life companies and CMBS conduits for stabilized assets with strong occupancy. Supported demand from urban renters, wine storage, and business records.
Drive-Up Standard Self-Storage
Ground-floor, surface-accessible units in suburban and exurban markets. Broad lender appetite including community banks, SBA 7(a) for owner-users, and CMBS for portfolios. Strong cash yields and lower construction cost basis.
Multi-Story Urban Self-Storage
Podium and mid-rise self-storage in high-density urban markets. Construction lenders with self-storage lease-up underwriting required. Permanent execution often CMBS or life company following stabilization at 85%+ occupancy.
Coverage Across 30 US Markets
City-specific market intelligence, active lender commentary, and program-level financing guides for every major US metropolitan market. Select a city to see lender appetite, underwriting notes, and deal structure for your specific program type.
Deep Dives by Program Type
Long-form financing guides for each program type, written by a commercial mortgage broker who closes these deals, not a content team learning the asset class.
Climate-Controlled Self-Storage Financing Guide
Rates, lender types, underwriting criteria, and deal structure for climate-controlled self-storage financing. Written by a commercial mortgage broker who closes these deals.
Read guide →Drive-Up Self-Storage Financing Guide
Rates, lender types, underwriting criteria, and deal structure for drive-up standard self-storage financing. Written by a commercial mortgage broker who closes these deals.
Read guide →Multi-Story Urban Self-Storage Financing Guide
Rates, lender types, underwriting criteria, and deal structure for multi-story urban self-storage financing. Written by a commercial mortgage broker who closes these deals.
Read guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Answers from a broker who closes self-storage deals, not a chatbot or a FAQ template.
What loan-to-value ratios are typical for self-storage financing?
Permanent financing on stabilized self-storage assets typically runs 65 to 75 percent LTV depending on lender type, facility class, and market. Life companies often cap at 60 to 65 percent for best-rate execution. CMBS conduits will go to 70 to 75 percent. SBA 504 for owner-users can reach 80 to 90 percent with the SBA debenture layer. Construction lenders underwrite to 60 to 65 percent LTC with a separate lease-up bridge or permanent take-out commitment in place.
Which lenders are most active for self-storage right now?
Life insurance companies with specialty real estate desks are among the most competitive for stabilized climate-controlled and drive-up assets at lower leverage. CMBS conduits compete for assets at scale, typically $5M and above, requiring stabilized NOI and strong sponsorship. Regional banks remain active for smaller community deals and owner-user SBA 7(a) structures. Specialty debt funds fill the construction, lease-up, and value-add bridge positions that banks and life companies decline.
How does a broker add value on a self-storage deal?
Self-storage has underwriting nuances that generic commercial bank relationships miss. A specialist broker knows which life company desks have active allocation for self-storage, which CMBS conduits are pricing aggressively for the asset type, and which construction lenders underwrite to self-storage lease-up curves rather than apartment stabilization assumptions. We run a competitive process across the full lender universe and present terms side by side so the client makes an informed choice.
What does a self-storage lender look for in underwriting?
Stabilized permanent lenders focus on trailing 12-month occupancy (typically 85 percent minimum), DSCR of at least 1.25x at the proposed loan amount, market rents versus in-place rents, and supply pipeline in the submarket. Construction lenders add sponsorship experience, lease-up projections versus market absorption, and the permanent take-out commitment. Life companies add asset quality, facility age, and climate-control infrastructure condition to the checklist.
What markets have the strongest self-storage lender appetite?
Lender appetite for self-storage is strongest in Sun Belt and secondary markets with population growth, limited new supply, and demonstrated rent growth. Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, and Charlotte consistently draw strong lender interest. High-barrier coastal markets like Los Angeles and New York draw institutional capital but often face tighter supply and more complex entitlement environments. Secondary markets like Raleigh, Salt Lake City, and Columbus are increasingly attractive for debt funds and regional banks.
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