Local Housing Allowance here
Crawley and Reigate rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £476 · 1 bed £860 · 2 beds £1,100 · 3 beds £1,365 · 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) | £145,800 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £38,600 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £6,804 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £17,350 |
| Total cash in | £210,954 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £38,600
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £486,000 | 10% | £23,600 |
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 | £17,076 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £456,000) | −£22,800 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£854 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,622 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,366 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£9,916 (−£826 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.5%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.7%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £608,000) | £456,000 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£340,200 |
| Cash back out | £115,800 |
| Money left in the deal | £95,154 |
Return on the money left in: -10.4% 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 £195,154 or £168,236. 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 £195,154.
- 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