Local Housing Allowance here
Cardiff rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £366 · 1 bed £650 · 2 beds £825 · 3 beds £925 · 4 beds £1,300. 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) | £114,600 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £28,150 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Bridging fee (2%) | £5,348 |
| Bridging interest (6 months at 0.85% a month) | £13,637 |
| Total cash in | £164,135 |
Land Transaction Tax: £28,150
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £250,000 | 8.5% | £5,950 |
| £250,000 – £382,000 | 10% | £13,200 |
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 | £13,020 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £358,500) | −£17,925 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£651 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,237 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,042 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£8,184 (−£682 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.5%
Refinance
| New mortgage (75% of £478,000) | £358,500 |
| Bridging loan repaid | −£267,400 |
| Cash back out | £91,100 |
| Money left in the deal | £73,035 |
Return on the money left in: -11.2% 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 £148,800 or £128,276. 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 £148,800.
- 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