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) | £114,500 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £35,800 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £152,700 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £35,800
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £458,000 | 10% | £20,800 |
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 | £13,608 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £343,500) | −£17,175 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£680 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,293 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,089 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£6,979 (−£582 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.0%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.2%
- Return on cash in
- -4.6%
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 £155,520 or £134,069. 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 £155,520.
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