Local Housing Allowance here
South West Herts rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £501 · 1 bed £950 · 2 beds £1,250 · 3 beds £1,500 · 4 beds £2,000. 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) | £455,400 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £171,810 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £21,252 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £54,193 |
| Total cash in | £705,055 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £171,810
| £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 – £1,518,000 | 17% | £3,060 |
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 | £21,948 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £1,423,500) | −£71,175 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,097 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,085 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,756 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£54,515 (−£4,543 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 1.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 1.1%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £1,898,000) | £1,423,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£1,062,600 |
| Cash back out | £360,900 |
| Money left in the deal | £344,155 |
Return on the money left in: -15.8% 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 £250,834 or £216,236. 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 £250,834.
- 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