Local Housing Allowance here
Rotherham rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £351 · 1 bed £430 · 2 beds £500 · 3 beds £550 · 4 beds £818. 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) | £82,500 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £23,000 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £107,900 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £23,000
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £330,000 | 10% | £8,000 |
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 | £12,888 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £247,500) | −£12,375 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£644 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,224 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,031 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£2,737 (−£228 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 3.9%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 2.9%
- Return on cash in
- -2.5%
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 £147,291 or £126,975. 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 £147,291.
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