Local Housing Allowance here
Black Country rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £320 · 1 bed £495 · 2 beds £625 · 3 beds £750 · 4 beds £925. 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) | £54,300 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £10,170 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £2,534 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £6,462 |
| Total cash in | £75,866 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £10,170
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £181,000 | 7% | £3,920 |
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 | £10,104 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £169,500) | −£8,475 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£505 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£960 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£808 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£994 (−£83 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.6%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.1%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £226,000) | £169,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£126,700 |
| Cash back out | £42,800 |
| Money left in the deal | £33,066 |
Return on the money left in: -3.0% 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 £115,474 or £99,547. 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 £115,474.
- 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