Local Housing Allowance here
Black Country rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £320 · 1 bed £495 · 2 beds £625 · 3 beds £750 · 4 beds £925. 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) | £56,100 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £10,590 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £2,618 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £6,676 |
| Total cash in | £78,384 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £10,590
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £187,000 | 7% | £4,340 |
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 | £7,836 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £175,500) | −£8,775 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£392 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£744 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£627 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£3,052 (−£254 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.2%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 3.1%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £234,000) | £175,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£130,900 |
| Cash back out | £44,600 |
| Money left in the deal | £33,784 |
Return on the money left in: -9.0% 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 £89,554 or £77,202. 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 £89,554.
- 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