Local Housing Allowance here
Greater Liverpool rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £344 · 1 bed £500 · 2 beds £595 · 3 beds £650 · 4 beds £875. 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) | £41,400 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £7,160 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £1,932 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £4,927 |
| Total cash in | £57,819 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £7,160
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £138,000 | 7% | £910 |
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 | £10,044 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £129,750) | −£6,487 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£502 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£954 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£804 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £947 (£79 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 7.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 5.4%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £173,000) | £129,750 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£96,600 |
| Cash back out | £33,150 |
| Money left in the deal | £24,669 |
Return on the money left in: 3.8% 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 £114,789 or £98,956. 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 £114,789.
- 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