Local Housing Allowance here
Guildford rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £515 · 1 bed £950 · 2 beds £1,225 · 3 beds £1,480 · 4 beds £1,978. 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) | £172,200 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £47,400 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £8,036 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £20,492 |
| Total cash in | £250,528 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £47,400
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £574,000 | 10% | £32,400 |
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 | £32,304 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £538,500) | −£26,925 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,615 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£3,069 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,584 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£2,239 (−£187 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.6%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.3%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £718,000) | £538,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£401,800 |
| Cash back out | £136,700 |
| Money left in the deal | £113,828 |
Return on the money left in: -2.0% 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 £369,189 or £318,266. 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 £369,189.
- 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