Local Housing Allowance here
Walton rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £620 · 1 bed £950 · 2 beds £1,212 · 3 beds £1,450 · 4 beds £1,975. 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) | £408,600 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £148,050 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £19,068 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £48,623 |
| Total cash in | £626,741 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £148,050
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £925,000 | 10% | £67,500 |
| £925,000 – £1,362,000 | 15% | £65,550 |
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 | £34,608 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £1,277,250) | −£63,862 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,730 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£3,288 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,769 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£37,391 (−£3,116 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 2.5%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 1.9%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £1,703,000) | £1,277,250 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£953,400 |
| Cash back out | £323,850 |
| Money left in the deal | £302,891 |
Return on the money left in: -12.3% 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 £395,520 or £340,966. 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 £395,520.
- 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