Local Housing Allowance here
Birmingham rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £342 · 1 bed £695 · 2 beds £750 · 3 beds £825 · 4 beds £1,100. 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) | £50,000 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £11,500 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £63,900 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £11,500
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £200,000 | 7% | £5,250 |
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 | £12,036 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £150,000) | −£7,500 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£602 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,143 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£963 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £1,478 (£123 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 6.0%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.5%
- Return on cash in
- 2.3%
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 £137,554 or £118,581. 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 £137,554.
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