On October 1, 2026, the Small Business Administration in the US rolled out a new set of underwriting rules that specifically target how business acquisitions are evaluated for SBA-backed loans. For an industry where SBA 7(a) loans have become one of the most common paths to ownership, these changes aren\u2019t minor.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n For owners and investors considering their next move, understanding how these rules could affect a potential deal will be the focus of our webinar hosted by White Label Storage, featuring Anne Mino of Live Oak Bank, John Lindsey of Lindsey Self Storage Group, and White Label Storage CEO Peter Smyth<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Save Your Seat and Get a Recording of the Session<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Proposed Changes in SBA Lending for Self-Storage<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The new SOP 50 10 8.1 rewrites the rules for how acquisition loans are originated and underwritten, and almost every change raises the bar for qualifying:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What This Means for Self-Storage Buyers and Sellers<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While the SBA originally wanted to push these rules in a blanket fashion for all small businesses, it didn\u2019t quite work out that way. Thanks to efforts from the storage industry, the rules will be applied differently to our industry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Why Facility Performance Is the Whole Ballgame Now<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Clean books, consistent occupancy, systematized operations, and revenue that doesn\u2019t depend on one owner\u2019s relationships or institutional knowledge are no longer just operational best practices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re increasingly becoming decisive factors in how lenders evaluate assets.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The operators who start tightening up their financials, tracking KPIs consistently, and building the kind of paper trail that survives lender scrutiny are the ones who will have the most success when it\u2019s time to sell, refinance, or bring in a partner. The deals that get funded are the ones that can prove their performance, not just promise it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tune in to our webinar to find out more.<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n About the Author<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rosa Atkinson is the content specialist at White Label Storage<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, a leading third-party storage management company. White Label combines data-driven operations, deep industry expertise, and innovative technology to help owners grow revenue and offload all the day-to-day work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/listselfstorage.com\/us\/industry-insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/WL-image.png\")
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