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Massachusetts market guide
DSCR loans in Malden, MA
Rental financing for Malden investors, qualified on the property's rent.
Malden, MA DSCR loans work like they do elsewhere: the lender divides the property's rent by its full monthly payment. The local inputs are a median gross rent of $2,204, median real estate taxes of $4,995 and a renter share of 59%.
Malden by the Census numbers
Median gross rent in Malden: $2,204, well above the Massachusetts median of $1,762. Median owner-occupied home value: $633,500, about 13% above the Massachusetts median of $562,100. Those are citywide medians, so an individual address can sit well on either side of them. By the simple measure of annual rent over home value, Malden sits at 4.2%, on the low side, so the payment, not the rent, usually decides whether a file clears. Lenders do not underwrite a ratio like that, but investors use it to decide where to look first.
| Indicator | Massachusetts | Malden | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons per household | 2.44 | 2.52 | |
| Share of homes detached | 51.1% | 23.8% | -54% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 21.5% | 30.2% | +41% |
| Degree holders, age 25+ | 47.3% | 45.1% | -5% |
| Workers on their own account | 8.8% | 6.5% | -26% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 51.8% | 51.2% | -1% |
| Units sitting vacant | 8.1% | 6.6% | -19% |
| Typical construction year | 1964 | 1950 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 3.8% | 4.2% | +11% |
| Households that rent | 37.5% | 58.7% | +57% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $5,992 | $4,995 | -17% |
| Household income, median | $103,960 | $100,606 | -3% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $562,100 | $633,500 | +13% |
| Typical monthly rent | $1,762 | $2,204 | +25% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 7,044,056 | 65,906 |
58.7% of households in Malden rent, well above the Massachusetts median of 37%. A large renter base supports steady leasing but also means plenty of competing listings. The median household brings in $100,606 (close to the Massachusetts median of $103,960), with 51% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income toward rent.
Homes, buildings and vacancies in Malden
Only 24% of units in Malden are detached houses. The rest is townhomes, duplexes and apartments, with two to four unit buildings at 34% of the total. Housing here skews old (median year built 1950), so condition and the age of major systems matter as much as the rent.
The Census counts 7% of Malden housing units as vacant, with a rental vacancy figure of 4.8%.
Reading Malden as an investor
A 4.2% gross ratio leaves little margin in Malden. Every dollar of insurance, tax and association dues matters, and some deals work only with lower leverage. Because the housing is older (median built 1950), repair reserves and insurance on aging roofs and wiring deserve a bigger line in your budget than the lender's ratio will show. Because 59% of households rent, vacancies tend to refill, and the pricing question is how much to charge relative to nearby units.
Taxes, insurance and hazards in Malden
Real estate taxes are a line the rent has to cover. The median owner in Malden pays $4,995 a year (about 17% below the Massachusetts median of $5,992), which is about 0.79% of the median home value. In rent terms, the tax bill equals roughly 19% of twelve months of median rent.
For hazards, FEMA's National Risk Index puts Middlesex County at a relatively high overall rating, and its top-ranked hazards are ice storms (very high), riverine flooding (relatively high) and lightning (relatively high).
| Hazard in Middlesex County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Hurricanes exposure | Relatively High |
| Lightning exposure | Relatively High |
| Riverine flooding exposure | Relatively High |
| Ice storms exposure | Very High |
| Social vulnerability score | Very Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively High |
| Composite risk | Relatively High |
A Malden landlord policy is priced on roof, age, wiring and location, and the annual premium divided by twelve lands in the payment the lender tests.
What the Malden medians allow
The quick test for Malden: rent of $2,204 divided by a 1.25 ratio allows a total payment of $1,763, and subtracting $416 in monthly taxes leaves $1,347 for the loan, insurance and dues. At 1.00 the allowance is the full $1,788.
Legal checks before a Malden purchase
Rental registration, inspection and nightly-stay rules differ by city, and we have not verified Malden's from a municipal source. A short call to the city and Middlesex County before you make an offer is cheap insurance. Nightly stays carry state tax in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has required short-term rental operators to register with the Department of Revenue since July 1, 2019, and applies the room occupancy excise to rentals of 31 days or less, with local taxes and fees added where a city or town has adopted them.
The return clock runs 30 days from move-out in Massachusetts, so Malden landlords should keep move-in photos and repair receipts. As to caps on rent in Malden: Rent control is prohibited statewide by the Massachusetts Rent Control Prohibition Act (c. 40P), which bars rent-control schemes except voluntary ones.
How Malden stacks up against its neighbors
Among the nearby markets above, Lynn has the lowest median home value at $510,100 and Cambridge the highest at $1,092,100, against $633,500 in Malden.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 64% | $4,456 | $731,700 | 666,442 | $2,147 |
| Lynn | 52% | $5,384 | $510,100 | 101,709 | $1,722 |
| Cambridge | 67% | $4,802 | $1,092,100 | 118,796 | $2,787 |
| Somerville | 66% | $6,186 | $911,300 | 81,036 | $2,517 |
| Malden | 59% | $4,995 | $633,500 | 65,906 | $2,204 |
Employers and institutions near Malden rentals
6.5% of employed residents work for themselves, which matters here because DSCR lending does not ask for tax returns or pay stubs. Looking at who fills the rentals, government workers are about 12% of employment, 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 30% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Moving from numbers to a Malden loan
Run the Malden rent, tax and insurance figures through the DSCR calculator. When they clear the ratio, start an application or ask for a quote.
More Massachusetts markets
- All Massachusetts DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Somerville, MA
- DSCR loans in Cambridge, MA
- DSCR loans in Lynn, MA
- DSCR loans in Boston, MA
- Every market we cover
Where these facts come from
- Massachusetts tax source: Mass.gov TIR 19-3
- Room occupancy excise (Massachusetts)
- Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020 to 2024 tables
- FEMA risk data used for Malden
- Wikipedia article, Malden, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts landlord deposit rules, M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b), (1)(d), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 ACS five-year estimates for Malden and carry margins of error. Massachusetts landlord-tenant summaries draw on the RedFlagLease dataset (CC BY 4.0) and the statutes linked above. Facts were checked in October 2026, and rules change.
A short buyer checklist
Ask the seller for twelve months of utility bills and any lease on the Malden property, confirm who pays water, trash and lawn care, and get the insurance quote before the inspection period ends so the ratio is tested on real numbers.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
How is Malden rent documented for a DSCR loan?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Malden. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $2,204 a month.
How is the DSCR figure built for a Malden property?
Yes, the payment includes principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association dues. At the Malden median rent of $2,204, a 1.25 ratio allows about $1,763 in total payment, of which roughly $416 a month goes to median taxes.
What does Middlesex County charge in property tax, in practice?
Typical owners pay $4,995, or 0.79% of home value, with Massachusetts overall at 1.07%. Do not assume the seller's bill carries over to you.
Can I use Airbnb income to qualify in Malden?
Depending on the lender, yes, if the property may legally be used that way and income is documented. Confirm the local permit, association rules and Massachusetts lodging taxes before you underwrite nightly income in Malden.
What does Massachusetts law say about deposits at a Malden rental?
Return is due within 30 days after the tenant leaves. The governing section is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b), (1)(d), (2), (3), (4), (5).
What does FEMA say about hazard risk near Malden?
At the county level FEMA calls overall risk relatively high. Insurance, not the index, shows up in the ratio, so price a policy for the Malden address.
Can a company be the borrower on a Malden purchase?
Many Malden investors do, though no rule forces it. The loan is secured by the property either way, and the lender will check who controls the company.