Local Housing Allowance here
Central London rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £830 · 1 bed £1,440 · 2 beds £1,794 · 3 beds £2,160 · 4 beds £3,060. 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) | £179,750 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £61,900 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £244,050 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £61,900
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £719,000 | 10% | £46,900 |
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 | £41,136 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £539,250) | −£26,962 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£2,057 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£3,908 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£3,291 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £4,568 (£381 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.7%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.4%
- Return on cash in
- 1.9%
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 £470,126 or £405,281. 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 £470,126.
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