Local Housing Allowance here
Cardiff rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £366 · 1 bed £650 · 2 beds £825 · 3 beds £925 · 4 beds £1,300. 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) | £80,400 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £16,750 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £3,752 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £9,568 |
| Total cash in | £112,870 |
Land Transaction Tax: £16,750
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £250,000 | 8.5% | £5,950 |
| £250,000 – £268,000 | 10% | £1,800 |
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 | £13,020 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £251,250) | −£12,562 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£651 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,237 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,042 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£2,822 (−£235 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.9%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 3.6%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £335,000) | £251,250 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£187,600 |
| Cash back out | £63,650 |
| Money left in the deal | £49,220 |
Return on the money left in: -5.7% 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 £148,800 or £128,276. 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 £148,800.
- 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