Local Housing Allowance here
Taff Rhondda rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £300 · 1 bed £375 · 2 beds £450 · 3 beds £495 · 4 beds £650. 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) | £67,800 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £12,910 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £3,164 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £8,068 |
| Total cash in | £94,342 |
Land Transaction Tax: £12,910
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £226,000 | 8.5% | £3,910 |
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 | £9,048 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £212,250) | −£10,612 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£452 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£860 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£724 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£3,950 (−£329 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.0%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.9%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £283,000) | £212,250 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£158,200 |
| Cash back out | £54,050 |
| Money left in the deal | £40,292 |
Return on the money left in: -9.8% 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 £103,406 or £89,143. 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 £103,406.
- 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