Local Housing Allowance here
Nottingham rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £380 · 1 bed £550 · 2 beds £650 · 3 beds £750 · 4 beds £970. 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) | £52,200 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £9,680 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £2,436 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £6,212 |
| Total cash in | £72,928 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £9,680
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £174,000 | 7% | £3,430 |
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 | £12,624 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £163,500) | −£8,175 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£631 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,199 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,010 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £1,259 (£105 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 7.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 5.4%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £218,000) | £163,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£121,800 |
| Cash back out | £41,700 |
| Money left in the deal | £31,228 |
Return on the money left in: 4.0% 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 £144,274 or £124,374. 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 £144,274.
- 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