Calculators

Rental property cash flow

Will the rent cover the loan, the taxes and the upkeep? Enter the price, the rent and your costs to see monthly cash flow, cap rate, cash-on-cash return and debt service coverage, with a plain read on the result.

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Starting point: the 30-year Freddie Mac average of 7.32%, week of 2026-10-22, plus 0.5 point. Investment-property loans usually price about 0.5–0.75 points above the published average; use your lender's quote.

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A placeholder. Pick a place below for a typical rent, or enter the rent you expect.

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Repairs includes capex: big-ticket items such as a roof or furnace, set aside as a share of rent.

Property tax (optional place lookup)

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Enter the yearly bill, or pick a place above for an estimate.

How the estimate works: property tax after you buy.

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Insurance is per year; HOA and other costs are per month. Insurance is an estimate (about $35 a month per $100,000 of price, the same figure our mortgage calculator uses). Landlord policies often cost more; use a quote.

Enter a price, a rent, a rate above zero and a yearly property tax (or pick a place) to see the numbers.

What the numbers mean

  • Net operating income (NOI) is rent collected minus running costs, before the loan.
  • Cap rate is NOI divided by the price: the yield if you paid cash.
  • Cash-on-cash return is a year of cash flow divided by the cash you put in, including down payment and closing costs.
  • DSCR is NOI divided by the year's loan payments. Above 1.0, rent covers the loan.

Assumptions

  • Loan payment: principal and interest on a fixed-rate loan, from the same formula as our mortgage calculator. The starting rate is the latest weekly Freddie Mac average plus half a point, because investment-property loans usually price about 0.5 to 0.75 points above the published average. Use your lender's quote. Mortgage insurance is not modeled.
  • Vacancy, management, repairs, closing costs: the starting percentages are placeholders, not market data. Change them to match the property and your plan. Management is charged on rent collected; repairs and capex on full-occupancy rent.
  • Property tax: if you pick a place, the estimate uses the certified non-homestead millage for the school district you choose, applied to half the purchase price, because a rental does not get the homestead exemption and the taxable value uncaps after a sale. See property tax after you buy.
  • Rent and insurance suggestions: when you pick a place, the rent starts at the Census median rent paid there (or at recent lease listings, when there are enough). Insurance starts at the same estimate our mortgage calculator uses. Both are starting points you can change.
  • Break-even rent and the 5-year picture: break-even rent is the monthly rent where yearly cash flow is $0. The 5-year picture adds the loan principal repaid in five years to five years of cash flow with rent and costs held flat.
  • Not included: income taxes, depreciation, appreciation, rent growth, and rental licensing or inspection fees.

These are estimates for planning only, not financial, tax or investment advice. Rents, costs and rates vary. Confirm property tax with the local assessor or treasurer, get a loan quote from a lender, and talk with a tax professional before you buy.

Ready for the real number?

Get the real loan terms for an investment purchase.

A local loan officer can quote the rate and down payment for a rental, and an agent can pull the actual rents and taxes for the home you are considering.

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Or talk with a local agent about a specific home.