Local Housing Allowance here
Oxford rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £550 · 1 bed £900 · 2 beds £1,125 · 3 beds £1,325 · 4 beds £1,750. 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) | £120,300 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £30,100 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £5,614 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £14,316 |
| Total cash in | £172,730 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £30,100
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £401,000 | 10% | £15,100 |
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 | £16,824 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £375,750) | −£18,787 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£841 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,598 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,346 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£6,099 (−£508 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.2%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 3.2%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £501,000) | £375,750 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£280,700 |
| Cash back out | £95,050 |
| Money left in the deal | £77,680 |
Return on the money left in: -7.9% 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 £192,274 or £165,754. 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 £192,274.
- 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