Local Housing Allowance here
Cambridge rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £526 · 1 bed £900 · 2 beds £950 · 3 beds £1,125 · 4 beds £1,450. 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) | £290,400 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £88,950 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £13,552 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £34,558 |
| Total cash in | £429,860 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £88,950
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £925,000 | 10% | £67,500 |
| £925,000 – £968,000 | 15% | £6,450 |
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 | £25,776 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £907,500) | −£45,375 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,289 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,449 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,062 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£25,749 (−£2,146 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 2.7%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.0%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £1,210,000) | £907,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£677,600 |
| Cash back out | £229,900 |
| Money left in the deal | £199,960 |
Return on the money left in: -12.9% 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 £294,583 or £253,951. 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 £294,583.
- 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