Local Housing Allowance here
Reading rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £392 · 1 bed £850 · 2 beds £1,095 · 3 beds £1,300 · 4 beds £1,654. 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) | £571,500 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £237,600 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £26,670 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £68,009 |
| Total cash in | £906,179 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £237,600
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £925,000 | 10% | £67,500 |
| £925,000 – £1,500,000 | 15% | £86,250 |
| £1,500,000 – £1,905,000 | 17% | £68,850 |
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 | £27,600 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £1,785,750) | −£89,287 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,380 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,622 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,208 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£68,247 (−£5,687 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 1.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 1.1%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £2,381,000) | £1,785,750 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£1,333,500 |
| Cash back out | £452,250 |
| Money left in the deal | £453,929 |
Return on the money left in: -15.0% 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 £315,429 or £271,921. 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 £315,429.
- 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