Local Housing Allowance here
Reading rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £392 · 1 bed £850 · 2 beds £1,095 · 3 beds £1,300 · 4 beds £1,654. The most housing support a tenant on benefits can get here; a guide to the bottom of the market.
Planning
We have no HMO Article 4 data for this council, so we cannot say. Check with the council. HMO guide
Cash in
| Deposit (25% of price) | £85,000 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £24,000 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £111,400 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £24,000
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £340,000 | 10% | £9,000 |
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 (5 rooms x £490 a month) | £29,400 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £255,000) | −£12,750 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£1,470 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£2,793 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£2,352 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Bills you pay (energy, water, broadband, council tax) | −£5,400 |
| Cash flow before tax | £4,285 (£357 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 8.6%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 5.0%
- Return on cash in
- 3.8%
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): yes; by 145% (higher-rate taxpayers): yes. The rent supports a loan of about £336,000 or £289,655. Lenders differ.
- With 5 or more tenants from 2 or more households, a mandatory HMO licence is needed everywhere in England; many councils license smaller HMOs too.
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