Local Housing Allowance here
North Cheshire rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £342 · 1 bed £475 · 2 beds £590 · 3 beds £695 · 4 beds £1,000. 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) | £68,100 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £13,390 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £3,178 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £8,104 |
| Total cash in | £95,172 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £13,390
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £227,000 | 7% | £7,140 |
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 | £12,192 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £213,000) | −£10,650 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£610 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,158 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£975 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£1,551 (−£129 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.0%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £284,000) | £213,000 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£158,900 |
| Cash back out | £54,100 |
| Money left in the deal | £41,072 |
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 £139,337 or £120,118. 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 £139,337.
- 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