Local Housing Allowance here
Cardiff rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £366 · 1 bed £650 · 2 beds £825 · 3 beds £925 · 4 beds £1,300. The most housing support a tenant on benefits can get here; a guide to the bottom of the market.
Planning
Our Article 4 data covers England only. Check with the council. HMO guide
Cash in
| Deposit (25% of price) | £95,500 |
| Land Transaction Tax (additional-home rates) | £28,150 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £126,050 |
Land Transaction Tax: £28,150
| £0 – £180,000 | 5% | £9,000 |
| £180,000 – £250,000 | 8.5% | £5,950 |
| £250,000 – £382,000 | 10% | £13,200 |
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 (3 rooms x £460 a month) | £16,560 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £286,500) | −£14,325 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£828 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,573 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,325 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Bills you pay (energy, water, broadband, council tax) | −£5,400 |
| Cash flow before tax | −£7,241 (−£603 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 4.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 1.9%
- Return on cash in
- -5.7%
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 £189,257 or £163,153. 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 £189,257.
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