Total Number of Rooms

Total Number of Rooms: Definition and Importance

In the context of commercial mortgages, the Total Number of Rooms is a fundamental metric used by lenders, underwriters, and appraisers to quantify the scale, capacity, and revenue-generating potential of a commercial property. While the specific application varies by asset class, it generally represents the aggregate count of individual guest suites, rental units, or habitable divisions available within a single property or development.

Property-Specific Applications

The definition of "rooms" is often categorized differently depending on the type of real estate being financed:

• Hospitality (Hotels and Motels): In the lodging industry, this is frequently referred to as the "key count." The total number of rooms is the primary denominator used to calculate essential performance metrics such as RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) and ADR (Average Daily Rate).
• Multifamily Housing: For apartment buildings, lenders focus on the "unit count." However, the total number of rooms (including bedrooms, living rooms, and dining areas) may be used in specific architectural valuations or to determine the density and marketability of the units.
• Healthcare and Senior Living: In facilities like assisted living or skilled nursing homes, the room count typically refers to the number of licensed beds or private resident rooms available for patient care, which directly impacts the facility's reimbursement rates and operational income.

Role in Underwriting and Valuation

Lenders scrutinize the Total Number of Rooms for several critical reasons during the commercial mortgage discovery and approval process:

• Market Comparability: Appraisers use the room count to identify "comps" (comparable properties). This allows them to determine if the property’s value-per-room is consistent with recent sales in the local market.
• Operating Expense Analysis: Many operating costs, such as payroll, utilities, and maintenance, are benchmarked on a per-room basis. A lender will compare these figures against industry averages to ensure the property is being managed efficiently.
• Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR): By multiplying the total number of rooms by projected occupancy and rental rates, lenders can forecast the property's Net Operating Income (NOI). This figure is vital in determining if the property generates enough cash flow to cover the proposed mortgage payments.
• Collateral Value: The total room count is a primary driver of the property's "stabilized value." This value determines the Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio, which dictates the maximum amount of capital a lender is willing to risk on the deal.

Ultimately, the Total Number of Rooms serves as the baseline for assessing the physical and financial size of the asset, providing a standardized unit of measure that allows for a transparent evaluation of risk and reward in commercial real estate finance.