Self-storage financing
Small Balance Loans for Self-Storage Properties
Small balance financing for the purchase, refinance, or rehabilitation of self storage facilities.
Program update, July 2026
What changed. Freddie Mac retired the Small Balance Loan program on April 15, 2026 and folded small-balance lending into its conventional platform as Conventional Small: $2 million to $10 million, up to 80% LTV, 1.25x minimum debt coverage, properties of 50 units or fewer. Freddie no longer has a small-balance product below $2 million. The guidance below describes SBL as it operated before that change.
What you can still do. Small-balance agency financing did not go away. Fannie Mae's Small Mortgage Loan program is still open and lends up to $9 million on five or more units. Below the agency minimums, or where the deal does not fit an agency box, the desk also places bank, CMBS, bridge, life company and HUD/FHA debt. Tell us about the deal and we will size it across every execution that fits.
Updated July 24, 2026
The program terms on this page were published in 2022 and are kept here for reference. Loan sizing, leverage, and pricing move with rates and lender appetite, so treat them as background rather than a current quote. For live terms on a specific self-storage deal, ask the desk for a quote.
Getting a loan under $1 million for a self storage property can sometimes be more difficult than obtaining a very large loan. As it turns out, smaller loans take just as much time and energy as their larger counterparts, so lenders prefer to devote their attention to the larger loans for the larger returns that they bring. Even so, our team has managed to build a meaningful network of lenders to cover almost every niche, small balance financing included. Our advisors are confident in their ability to match investors seeking small balance financing under $1 million to the right lenders by leveraging our underwriting, existing relationships, technology, and years of experience to negotiate the best small-balance commercial loan terms for self storage property investing.
2022 Commercial Mortgage Terms for Small Balance Loans
- Minimum Loan: Starting at $250,000
- Term: Up to 10 years
- Leverage: Up to 80% LTV
- Amortization: Up to 30 years
- Recourse: Full Recourse
- Prepayment: Step-down
Small Balance Loan Advantages
- FICO scores of 580+ eligible
- Stated income available
- Fast closing time (average time of 35 days)
- Low documentation loans available
Small Balance Loan Disadvantages
- Full recourse in the event of default
- Less competitive interest rates
Start here
Getting self-storage financing should be easy. Now it is.
Tell us about the property. We come back with sizing, the executions it fits, and indicative terms. No cost, no obligation.
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