DBRS Morningstar Confirms Ratings on Arbor Multifamily Mortgage Securities Trust 2020-MF1

DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) confirmed its ratings on the following classes of Multifamily Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2020-MF1 issued by Arbor Multifamily Mortgage Securities Trust 2020-MF1:

-- Class A-1 at AAA (sf)
-- Class A-4 at AAA (sf)
-- Class A-5 at AAA (sf)
-- Class A-SB at AAA (sf)
-- Class AS at AAA (sf)
-- Class X-A at AAA (sf)
-- Class B at AA (sf)
-- Class C at A (sf)
-- Class D at BBB (high) (sf)
-- Class X-D at BBB (sf)
-- Class E at BBB (low) (sf)

All trends are Stable.

The rating confirmations reflect the overall stable performance of the transaction, which remains in line with DBRS Morningstar’s expectations. As of the April 2021 remittance, all of the original 40 fixed-rate loans remain in the transaction. The 40 loans are secured by 46 multifamily and three mixed-use properties. There has been minimal collateral reduction of 0.04% since issuance from scheduled loan amortization, as only two loans were not structured with full-term or partial-term interest-only (IO) periods. The DBRS Morningstar weighted-average debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) and DBRS Morningstar issuance loan-to-value ratio are 1.46 times and 71.1%, respectively.

As of the April 2021 remittance, one loan (Prospectus ID#17 – 234-236 East 24th Street) is on the servicer’s watchlist and represents 2.0% of the current pool balance. The loan is secured by a 36-unit multifamily property in New York, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan. The loan was placed on the servicer’s watchlist for a low DSCR and occupancy rate, a direct result of leasing challenges caused by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as many former residents chose not to renew leases and left the city. The borrower, however, has noted that leasing activity has improved with the occupancy rate approaching 78.0% as of December 2020, an increase over the September 2020 occupancy rate of 56.0% as reported by the servicer.

A description of how DBRS Morningstar considers ESG factors within the DBRS Morningstar analytical framework can be found in the DBRS Morningstar Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk Factors in Credit Ratings at https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/373262.

Classes X-A and X-D are IO certificates that reference a single rated tranche or multiple rated tranches. The IO rating mirrors the lowest-rated applicable reference obligation tranche adjusted upward by one notch if senior in the waterfall.

All ratings are subject to surveillance, which could result in ratings being upgraded, downgraded, placed under review, confirmed, or discontinued by DBRS Morningstar.

The DBRS Viewpoint platform provides additional information on this transaction and underlying loans including DBRS Morningstar metrics, commentary, servicer-reported cash flows, and other performance-related data.

For complimentary access to this content, please register for the DBRS Viewpoint platform at www.viewpoint.dbrsmorningstar.com The platform includes issuer and servicer data for most outstanding CMBS transactions (including non-DBRS Morningstar rated), as well as loan-level and transaction-level commentary for most DBRS Morningstar-rated and -monitored transactions.

Notes:
All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

The principal methodology is North American CMBS Surveillance Methodology (March 26, 2021), which can be found on dbrsmorningstar.com under Methodologies & Criteria. For a list of the structured-finance-related methodologies that may be used during the rating process, please see the DBRS Morningstar Global Structured Finance Related Methodologies document, which can be found on dbrsmorningstar.com in the Commentary tab under Regulatory Affairs. Please note that not every related methodology listed under a principal structured finance asset class methodology may be used to rate or monitor an individual structured finance or debt obligation.

For more information regarding rating methodologies and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), please see the following DBRS Morningstar press release: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/357883.

For more information regarding structured finance rating methodologies and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), please see the following DBRS Morningstar press release: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/358308.

For more information regarding the structured finance rating approach and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), please see the following DBRS Morningstar press release: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/359905.

The related regulatory disclosures pursuant to the National Instrument 25-101 Designated Rating Organizations are hereby incorporated by reference and can be found by clicking on the link under Related Documents or by contacting us at [email protected].

The rated entity or its related entities did participate in the rating process for this rating action. DBRS Morningstar had access to the accounts and other relevant internal documents of the rated entity or its related entities in connection with this rating action.

Please see the related appendix for additional information regarding the sensitivity of assumptions used in the rating process. Please note a sensitivity analysis is not performed for CMBS bonds rated CCC or lower. The DBRS Morningstar long-term rating scale definition indicates that ratings of CCC or lower are assigned when the bond is highly likely to default or default is imminent, thereby prevailing over a sensitivity analysis.

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrsmorningstar.com or contact us at [email protected].

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