{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/owner-occupied-business-real-estate","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/owner-occupied-business-real-estate","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"owner-occupied-business-real-estate","term":"Owner-occupied business real estate","group":"The loan itself","definition":"This is commercial property where your small business occupies at least 51% of the space. It's a key eligibility requirement for using an SBA 7(a) loan to purchase real estate.","what_it_means":"When acquiring a business that includes real estate, the SBA wants to see that your business will be the primary tenant. If you occupy less than 51% at closing, the property is ineligible, or you'll need a plan to reach 51% occupancy within a year. This is fundamental for real estate components of a 7(a) deal.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/owner-occupied-business-real-estate","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"land-purchase","term":"Land purchase","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/land-purchase"},{"slug":"renovation","term":"Renovation","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/renovation"},{"slug":"owner-occupied-commercial-real-estate","term":"Owner-occupied commercial real estate","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/owner-occupied-commercial-real-estate"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Can a business primarily generating passive income from non-owner-occupied commercial real estate rentals be 7(a) eligible?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/can-a-business-primarily-generating-passive-income-from-non-owner-occupied-commercial-real"},{"question":"Can the value of my owner-occupied commercial real estate serve as collateral for an acquisition loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-the-value-of-my-owner-occupied-commercial-real-estate-serve-as-collateral-for-an-acqui"},{"question":"What is the rule for an owner-occupied real estate portion of an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-rule-for-an-owner-occupied-real-estate-portion-of-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"If the business property is essential but less than 51% owner-occupied, is it still eligible for financing?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/if-the-business-property-is-essential-but-less-than-51-owner-occupied-is-it-still-eligible"},{"question":"If the business owns real estate, must the buyer also purchase the real estate with the business?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/if-the-business-owns-real-estate-must-the-buyer-also-purchase-the-real-estate-with-the-bus"},{"question":"What is the minimum owner-occupancy requirement for real estate purchased with an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-minimum-owner-occupancy-requirement-for-real-estate-purchased-with-an-sba-7-a-"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Owner-occupied business real estate","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/owner-occupied-business-real-estate","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}