Buy to Let Calculator UK
Work out the gross and net rental yield, monthly cashflow and cash-on-cash return on any UK buy-to-let. Stamp duty is calculated automatically at investor rates for England & NI, Scotland and Wales.
Your numbers
Purchase & running costs
Set to 0 if self-managing.
Your results
- Monthly cashflow
- £175
- Gross yield
- 7.7%
- Net yield
- 1.5%
- Cash-on-cash ROI
- 4.8%
- Cash needed
- £43,800
£2,104 per year after all costs
after all costs incl. mortgage
annual cashflow ÷ cash invested
deposit + tax + costs
- SDLT (England & N. Ireland)additional-property rates
- £7,300
- Mortgage75% LTV
- £105,000
- Monthly mortgage paymentinterest-only
- £481
- Total investment
- £148,800
Free to use, no sign-up needed. Figures are estimates for guidance, not financial or tax advice.
How the buy to let calculator works
A buy-to-let lives or dies on four numbers: what it costs to get in, what the rent is, what it costs to run, and what is left over. This calculator computes all four using the same engine as Dealist's full deal analyser, so the answers match what a professional deal pack would show an investor.
Gross yield
Gross yield = (monthly rent × 12) ÷ purchase price × 100. It is the industry's quick comparison number: how hard the price you paid works before any costs. Use it to compare areas and property types at a glance, never to judge whether a specific deal makes money.
Monthly cashflow
Cashflow = rent − (mortgage interest + management + maintenance + voids + insurance). The mortgage payment is interest-only: loan × interest rate ÷ 12. Management and maintenance are percentages of rent, and the void allowance spreads your empty weeks across the year, so 2 void weeks deducts 2/52 of the rent every month rather than surprising you in one go. Management and maintenance are charged on the full rent, before the void allowance, which slightly overstates them in weeks the property is empty.
Net yield
Net yield = (annual rent − annual costs) ÷ purchase price × 100. This calculator takes a strict view and includes the mortgage interest in those costs, so the figure is what the property genuinely returns on its price after everything. Some listings quote a net yield that excludes finance; when comparing, check which definition is being used.
Cash needed and cash-on-cash ROI
Cash needed = deposit + stamp duty + legal and other costs. Stamp duty comes from the real rate tables at additional-property rates by default, routed to the correct tax for the nation: SDLT, LBTT plus ADS, or LTT higher rates.
Cash-on-cash ROI = annual cashflow ÷ cash needed × 100. Because it measures return on the money you actually parted with, it captures the effect of leverage: the same property at a different LTV produces a different ROI. With no cash in the deal there is nothing to divide by, so the calculator shows Infinite while the property still cashflows and N/A when it does not.
Worked example
You buy a three-bed terrace in the North West for £140,000 with a 75% LTV interest-only mortgage at 5.5%, and let it for £895 a month.
| Deposit (25%) | £35,000 |
| SDLT (additional-property rates) | £7,300 |
| Legal and other costs | £1,500 |
| Cash needed | £43,800 |
| Monthly rent | £895 |
| Mortgage interest (£105,000 at 5.5%) | £481 |
| Management (10%), maintenance (10%), voids, insurance | £238 |
| Monthly cashflow | £175 |
The gross yield is 7.7%, and the annual cashflow of about £2,104 represents a cash-on-cash return of 4.8% on the £43,800 invested. Of the £7,300 of stamp duty, the additional-property surcharge alone is £7,000, 20% of the deposit: this is why serious investors calculate it properly before offering. Figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good rental yield in the UK?
There is no official benchmark for a good yield: it depends on the area, the property and whether you are buying for income or for growth. Compare a deal with similar properties nearby, using sold prices and achieved rents, and judge it on net yield and cashflow as well as gross yield.
What is the difference between gross and net yield?
Gross yield is annual rent divided by purchase price and ignores every cost. Net yield deducts your running costs first, and in this calculator that includes the mortgage interest, management, maintenance, voids and insurance, so it reflects what actually reaches your pocket relative to the price paid. Net will always look much smaller than gross; that gap is your cost base.
How is monthly cashflow calculated?
Monthly cashflow = rent minus the interest-only mortgage payment, management fee, maintenance allowance, void allowance and insurance. A positive number means the property pays you each month; a negative number means you are subsidising it. Lenders and experienced investors both want comfortable headroom here, not a figure that only works while interest rates behave.
What is cash-on-cash return?
Cash-on-cash return (the ROI figure in this calculator) is your annual net cashflow divided by the actual cash you put in: deposit, stamp duty, legals and other costs. Unlike yield, it accounts for mortgage leverage, so it answers the practical question: what does each pound I invested earn me per year?
How much deposit do I need for a buy-to-let mortgage?
Each lender sets its own maximum loan-to-value. This calculator defaults to 75% LTV, a 25% deposit, which you can change to match the product you are offered. Remember the deposit is not the only cash needed: stamp duty at additional-property rates, legal fees and any refurbishment come on top, which is why the calculator shows a separate "cash needed" figure.
Does this calculator include stamp duty?
Yes, and it uses the real 2026 rate tables rather than a flat estimate. By default it applies additional-property rates, which are what you pay if you already own a home: SDLT with the 5% surcharge in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT with the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement in Scotland, or LTT higher rates in Wales, depending on the nation you select.
Does the calculator account for income tax on rent?
No. Income tax depends on your personal position: your tax band, whether you own the property personally or through a limited company, and the Section 24 restriction on mortgage interest relief for individual landlords. The calculator shows pre-tax cashflow, so deals can be compared before your own tax position. Speak to an accountant about the ownership structure before you buy.
Sources
The stamp duty in this calculator uses the rates each tax authority publishes, applied to the nation you choose. Everything else, such as rent, mortgage rate and costs, is an assumption you set. Last reviewed . Rates can change at a Budget, so confirm the current figure with the tax authority or your conveyancer before you commit to a purchase.
England and Northern Ireland (Stamp Duty Land Tax)
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: corporate bodies (opens in a new tab) · HMRC, GOV.UK
Scotland (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax)
- LBTT residential property rates and bands (opens in a new tab) · Revenue Scotland
- The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) (opens in a new tab) · Revenue Scotland
Wales (Land Transaction Tax)
- Land Transaction Tax rates and bands (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
- Higher rates of Land Transaction Tax: overview (opens in a new tab) · Welsh Revenue Authority, GOV.WALES
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