When should I use the Rental Property Calculator?
Use it when you want to test the exact inputs on this page: Screen whether monthly rent covers estimated costs. Estimate cap rate before financing effects. The result is a check against your assumptions, not proof that a lender, tax app, broker, platform, or provider will use the same number.
What do the main Rental Property Calculator inputs mean?
Property price means the purchase price used for cap rate, loan amount, and maintenance reserve math. Down payment and closing costs means the cash invested before the property starts producing income. Monthly rent means expected rent before vacancy, repairs, taxes, insurance, and loan payment. Vacancy reserve means a simple rent haircut for empty months, late turnover, or rent that does not arrive on schedule. Operating expenses means monthly non-loan costs such as management, HOA, utilities paid by the owner, routine repairs, or service contracts.
Is NOI the same as cash flow?
No. NOI is rent minus vacancy and operating expenses before the loan payment. Cash flow is what is left after the estimated mortgage payment too.
Does this include rental-property taxes or depreciation?
No. IRS rental rules can include income, expenses, depreciation, passive-loss limits, personal-use rules, and recordkeeping. This page only screens the deal math.
Can a lender use this rental income number?
No. Lenders use their own rental income rules, leases, history, appraisals, vacancy factors, and underwriting worksheets. Use this as a first-pass check only.
What is the Rental Property Calculator doing with my numbers?
In plain language: The calculator subtracts vacancy reserve, taxes, insurance, maintenance reserve, and operating expenses from rent for NOI. It then subtracts the mortgage payment for cash flow and compares NOI and cash flow with property price and cash invested. For the default example: $2,400 rent - $120 vacancy - $260 operating costs - $300 property tax - $140 insurance - $250 maintenance reserve = $1,330 monthly NOI. The estimated mortgage payment is $1,459.35, so monthly cash flow is a $129.35 shortfall.
How should I read the Rental Property Calculator answer?
Monthly cash flow is the after-loan result. Monthly NOI shows the property before financing. Cap rate compares annual NOI with purchase price. Cash-on-cash return compares annual cash flow with down payment plus closing costs.
What does this estimate leave out?
This is a screening estimate, not a tax return, lender worksheet, appraisal, or full underwriting model. It does not include depreciation, income tax, passive-loss rules, capex timing, rent control, tenant risk, property management contracts, refinancing, local landlord rules, or sale taxes. Use a tax pro, lender, property manager, lease data, inspection report, and local landlord rules before buying or financing a rental property. This calculator is for fast screening, not a final investment decision.
What should I double-check before copying the result?
Check rent comps, property taxes, insurance quotes, HOA rules, management fees, repair history, capex needs, local rental rules, vacancy risk, and the written loan estimate before trusting a deal.
Does the site save my finance inputs?
No. The calculator runs in your browser tab. Recent answers stay only on the page while you use it, and they are not sent to a server.