Rental Property Calculator

Rental Property Inputs

Analyze cash flow, returns, and deal quality.

Property Details

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Financing

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Operating Costs

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Growth Assumptions

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Deal Analysis

Rental Property Calculator

Negative Cash Flow

Monthly Cash Flow

$-291.18/mo

Needs Work

Expenses exceed income by about $291.18/mo.

Income vs Expenses Monthly

Effective Income$2,280
Total Expenses$2,571
Expenses exceed income by $291.18/mo

Cap Rate

5.39%

Average

Cash-on-Cash

-4.99%

Negative

NOI

$18,860

Annual

GRM

12.15

Moderate

Gross Annual Rent

$28,800

Before vacancy

Effective Rent

$27,360

After vacancy

Annual Expenses

$30,854

All-in

Future Value (5 yrs)

$405,746

3.0% appreciation

Investment Score

38

/100

Grade: D

Risk Level: High

This is not attractive at current rent/expense assumptions. You need higher rent, lower price, or better financing.

Smart Recommendations

✓Rent needs to improve by about $291.18/mo to break even.

✓Break-even rent estimate: $2,691.18/mo.

✓NOI is $18,860 with a 5.39% cap rate.

✓Future value after 5 years is projected at $405,746.

Calculations are estimates only. Validate rent comps, taxes, insurance, repairs, vacancy, and financing before making an investment decision.

This rental property calculator gives you the full investment picture: monthly cash flow, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, gross rent multiplier, and total ROI over your hold period — all in one place. It's designed to catch the numbers beginner investors most often ignore.

Cash Flow vs. Cap Rate vs. Cash-on-Cash

Three different metrics, three different questions. Monthly cash flow answers "how much do I net after every expense every month?" Cap rate (NOI ÷ purchase price) answers "how does this property's income compare to its price, ignoring financing?" Cash-on-cash return (annual cash flow ÷ down payment) answers "what yield am I getting on the cash I actually put in?" A property can have a mediocre cap rate but excellent cash-on-cash return if financed favorably — or vice versa.

The Vacancy Rate You're Probably Underestimating

Most investors use 5% vacancy (about 18 days vacant per year) in their projections. In practice, vacancy includes the time between tenants, time for repairs between tenants, and unexpected extended vacancies. In competitive rental markets, 5% may be optimistic; in slower markets, 8-10% is more realistic. The calculator applies your vacancy rate to gross rent before calculating any expense ratios.

Why Maintenance at 1% of Value Is the Right Benchmark

A $350,000 property at 1% annual maintenance is $3,500/year — about $292/month — which sounds high until you factor in roof repairs, HVAC service, appliance replacement, and plumbing issues. Older properties may run 1.5-2%. Ignoring maintenance is the most common reason rental properties underperform investor projections in years 5-10.

Total Return Over the Hold Period

The bottom section shows total return: cumulative cash flow plus appreciation gain over your hold period, divided by your down payment. This is a simple unleveraged ROI approximation — it doesn't account for principal paydown (a third return component) or the tax benefits of depreciation, both of which real estate investors should model with a CPA or full underwriting tool for actual investment decisions.