Local Housing Allowance here
Ashford rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £393 · 1 bed £750 · 2 beds £850 · 3 beds £1,098 · 4 beds £1,440. 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) | £114,750 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £35,900 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £153,050 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £35,900
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £459,000 | 10% | £20,900 |
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 | £24,492 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £344,250) | −£17,212 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,225 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,327 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,959 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £1,419 (£118 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.1%
- Return on cash in
- 0.9%
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 £279,909 or £241,300. 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 £279,909.
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