Building a comparable rent schedule is the same basic exercise appraisers use anywhere real estate income needs to be estimated rather than read off a lease: find similar rented properties, adjust for the differences, and reconcile to one number. The exercise shows up under different form numbers depending on property size. This page covers the method itself; for the specific one-unit form, see Form 1007, and for two-to-four units see Form 1025.
The basic method
Identify a handful of comparable rental properties — similar size, condition, age, and location to the subject. Record their actual rents. Adjust each one up or down for material differences from the subject. Reconcile the adjusted figures into a single opinion of market rent.
Where it lives on a one-unit property
On a one-unit property, the comparable rent schedule is formalized as a standalone appraisal addendum, Form 1007, ordered alongside the primary appraisal report.
Where it lives on a two-to-four unit property
On a two-to-four unit property, there is no separate rent-schedule form. The comparable rent analysis is built directly into Form 1025, unit by unit, often supported by Form 216.
Why rental adjustments are harder than sales adjustments
Sales comparison benefits from large volumes of closed transactions and well-established adjustment conventions. Rental comparables are thinner, less standardized, and more likely to lag a moving market, which is a large part of why two appraisers can build materially different rent opinions from the same neighborhood.
Market rent versus what the tenant actually pays
A comparable rent schedule produces an opinion of market rent — what a similar unit should rent for. That is a different number from actual, in-place lease rent, and lenders vary in which one they use to qualify a loan. See market rent vs. actual rent for that distinction, and our 1007 rent schedule guide for how lenders actually apply it.
Comparable Rent Schedule FAQ
Form 1007 is the specific one-unit appraisal form that formalizes this method. The underlying method of comparing similar rentals and adjusting for differences also appears inside Form 1025 for two-to-four unit properties.
The appraiser, as part of the appraisal assignment, not the borrower or a property manager.
A small number of similar nearby rentals, adjusted individually and then reconciled to one figure. The exact count is at the appraiser’s judgment.
A borrower can provide supporting rental data for the appraiser to consider, particularly in a reconsideration request, but the appraiser makes the final determination.
It reflects long-term rental comparables, so it generally does not capture short-term rental income potential. Lenders with short-term rental programs typically use booking history or platform data instead.