Local Housing Allowance here
Caerphilly rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £337 · 1 bed £350 · 2 beds £495 · 3 beds £550 · 4 beds £750. The most housing support a tenant on benefits can get here; a guide to the bottom of the market.
Cash in
| Deposit (25% of price) | £62,000 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £14,780 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £79,180 |
Land Transaction Tax: £14,780
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £248,000 | 8.5% | £5,780 |
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
| Rent | £8,268 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £186,000) | −£9,300 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£413 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£785 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£661 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£3,242 (−£270 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.4%
- Return on cash in
- -4.1%
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 £94,491 or £81,458. 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 £94,491.
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