Local Housing Allowance here
Lancaster rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £394 · 1 bed £475 · 2 beds £575 · 3 beds £650 · 4 beds £725. 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) | £52,800 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £9,820 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £2,464 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £6,283 |
| Total cash in | £73,767 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £9,820
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £176,000 | 7% | £3,570 |
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 | £9,876 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £165,000) | −£8,250 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£494 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£938 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£790 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£946 (−£79 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.6%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.1%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £220,000) | £165,000 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£123,200 |
| Cash back out | £41,800 |
| Money left in the deal | £31,967 |
Return on the money left in: -3.0% 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 £112,869 or £97,300. 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 £112,869.
- 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