Local Housing Allowance here
Carmarthenshire rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £337 · 1 bed £400 · 2 beds £489 · 3 beds £535 · 4 beds £650. The most housing support a tenant on benefits can get here; a guide to the bottom of the market.
Cash in
| Deposit (30% of price; bridging loan for the rest) | £44,100 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £7,350 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £2,058 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £5,248 |
| Total cash in | £61,156 |
Land Transaction Tax: £7,350
Additional-home rates, as checked in October 2026. Buying through a company, or replacing your main home, can change this. Stamp duty calculator
A year of letting after refinancing
| Rent | £8,880 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £138,000) | −£6,900 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£444 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£844 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£710 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£368 (−£31 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 6.0%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.4%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £184,000) | £138,000 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£102,900 |
| Cash back out | £35,100 |
| Money left in the deal | £26,056 |
Return on the money left in: -1.4% a year.
Will a lender agree?
Lenders usually test the rent against interest at a higher “stress” rate, here 7%. Rent covers it by 125% (basic-rate taxpayers and companies): no; by 145% (higher-rate taxpayers): no. The rent supports a loan of about £101,486 or £87,488. Lenders differ.
- The rent may not pass a typical lender stress test: lenders often want rent to cover interest at 7% by 125%, which caps the loan near £101,486.
- Many lenders will not remortgage on a new valuation until you have owned the home for six months.
All figures are before income tax. Individual landlords cannot deduct mortgage interest in full (they get a 20% tax credit instead), so higher-rate taxpayers pay tax on more than their cash flow. This is a calculator, not financial advice. Read the guide