Local Housing Allowance here
Swansea rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £375 · 1 bed £525 · 2 beds £550 · 3 beds £600 · 4 beds £820. 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) | £61,500 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £14,610 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £78,510 |
Land Transaction Tax: £14,610
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £246,000 | 8.5% | £5,610 |
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 | £10,764 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £184,500) | −£9,225 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£538 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,023 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£861 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£1,233 (−£103 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.4%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 3.2%
- Return on cash in
- -1.6%
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 £123,017 or £106,049. 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 £123,017.
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