Local Housing Allowance here
Inner North London rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £708 · 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) | £296,250 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £121,500 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £420,150 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £121,500
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £925,000 | 10% | £67,500 |
| £925,000 – £1,185,000 | 15% | £39,000 |
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 | £38,232 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £888,750) | −£44,437 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,912 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£3,632 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£3,059 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£15,158 (−£1,263 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.2%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.5%
- Return on cash in
- -3.6%
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 £436,937 or £376,670. 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 £436,937.
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