Local Housing Allowance here
Central London rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £830 · 1 bed £1,440 · 2 beds £1,794 · 3 beds £2,160 · 4 beds £3,060. 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) | £271,200 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £80,400 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £12,656 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £32,273 |
| Total cash in | £398,929 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £80,400
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £904,000 | 10% | £65,400 |
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 | £30,576 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £847,500) | −£42,375 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,529 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,905 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,446 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£19,029 (−£1,586 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.6%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £1,130,000) | £847,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£632,800 |
| Cash back out | £214,700 |
| Money left in the deal | £184,229 |
Return on the money left in: -10.3% 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 £349,440 or £301,241. 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 £349,440.
- 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