Local Housing Allowance here
Luton rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £436 · 1 bed £700 · 2 beds £875 · 3 beds £1,100 · 4 beds £1,350. 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) | £103,500 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £24,500 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £4,830 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £12,317 |
| Total cash in | £147,547 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £24,500
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £345,000 | 10% | £9,500 |
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 | £14,664 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £323,250) | −£16,162 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£733 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,393 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,173 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£5,148 (−£429 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 3.2%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £431,000) | £323,250 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£241,500 |
| Cash back out | £81,750 |
| Money left in the deal | £65,797 |
Return on the money left in: -7.8% 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 £167,589 or £144,473. 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 £167,589.
- 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