Local Housing Allowance here
Newport rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £337 · 1 bed £440 · 2 beds £600 · 3 beds £650 · 4 beds £880. 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) | £137,100 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £37,075 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £6,398 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £16,315 |
| Total cash in | £199,288 |
Land Transaction Tax: £37,075
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £250,000 | 8.5% | £5,950 |
| £250,000 – £400,000 | 10% | £15,000 |
| £400,000 – £457,000 | 12.5% | £7,125 |
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 | £16,344 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £428,250) | −£21,412 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£817 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,553 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,308 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£9,096 (−£758 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.6%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.7%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £571,000) | £428,250 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£319,900 |
| Cash back out | £108,350 |
| Money left in the deal | £90,938 |
Return on the money left in: -10.0% 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 £186,789 or £161,025. 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 £186,789.
- 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