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Buy-to-let yield calculator UK

Estimate whether a buy-to-let property actually works after costs.

Use YieldLens UK to check rental yield, monthly cash flow, ownership costs, risk flags, and downside scenarios before committing serious time to a UK buy-to-let property.

Indicative decision-support only. Not a formal valuation or financial advice.

Why yield alone is not enough

A decent rental yield can still hide a weak deal.

Gross yield is useful, but it does not tell you whether the property has enough cash flow after mortgage costs, service charge, ground rent, repairs, and void periods.

Yield is the headline

Gross rental yield compares annual rent with purchase price. It is useful for screening, but it is not the full investment picture.

Cash flow is the reality check

A property can show a good yield but still leave almost no monthly surplus once financing and running costs are included.

Downside risk matters

If the return disappears after one void month or a service charge rise, the deal is fragile rather than strong.

What the check includes

A simple buy-to-let screen built around the numbers that matter.

The aim is to help you decide whether a property deserves more investigation, not to drown you in a spreadsheet.

Gross rental yield

Estimate annual rent as a percentage of the purchase price.

Monthly cash flow

Check whether rent still leaves a surplus after known monthly costs.

Ownership costs

Include mortgage cost, service charge, ground rent, and other regular costs.

Downside scenario

See whether the return survives lower rent, higher costs, and void periods.

Risk flags

Weak points the calculator can flag early.

The free check is designed to show where a property could disappoint before you waste time on a poor deal.

Gross yield looks acceptable but monthly cash flow is weak.
Mortgage costs remove most of the rental surplus.
Service charge, ground rent, or maintenance costs are missing.
One or two void months could wipe out annual profit.
Expected rent has not been checked against comparable listings.
The property only works under optimistic assumptions.

Before buying

Questions to answer before treating the yield as attractive.

A buy-to-let property should survive basic pressure testing before it gets serious attention.

  1. What monthly rent is realistically achievable?
  2. What is the full mortgage cost under current rates?
  3. What are the annual service charge and ground rent?
  4. Are there expected repairs, major works, or management fees?
  5. How long could the property sit empty between tenants?
  6. Does the deal still work if rent is 5% to 10% lower?
  7. Does the deal still work if costs are 10% to 20% higher?
  8. Are lease length, restrictions, EPC, and local demand understood?

Example pressure test

The deal can change quickly when assumptions move.

YieldLens UK does not just show a headline yield. The check also highlights whether monthly cash flow is thin and whether a downside scenario could push the property into negative territory.

Gross yield

5.3%

Base cash flow

£29/mo

Stress case

Negative

Example only. Actual results depend on the purchase price, rent, mortgage cost, service charge, and other inputs entered by the user.

FAQ

Buy-to-let yield calculator questions

What is a buy-to-let yield calculator?

A buy-to-let yield calculator estimates rental income as a percentage of the property purchase price. YieldLens UK also checks cash flow, known ownership costs, risk flags, and downside scenarios.

What is a good rental yield in the UK?

There is no single good yield for every property. A higher yield can still be unattractive if mortgage costs, service charges, repairs, void periods, or risk are too high.

Does this calculator show cash flow?

Yes. The check estimates monthly and annual cash flow using rent and known monthly costs, including mortgage cost, service charge, ground rent, and other costs where entered.

Is this financial advice?

No. YieldLens UK provides indicative decision-support only. It is not financial advice, mortgage advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a formal property valuation.

Start with a quick screen

Run the free buy-to-let check before you commit.

Enter the price, rent, mortgage cost, and known ownership costs. YieldLens UK will return the headline yield, cash flow estimate, risk flags, and downside pressure test.

Run free buy-to-let check