Rental Property Calculator

Use this free rental property calculator to estimate mortgage payment, vacancy reserve, operating expenses, monthly cash flow, NOI, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.

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Smoke mascot pointing between a rental house, tenant icons, rent coin stacks, expense icons, a gauge, NOI bowl, cash-flow rows, and a final money bag.
Rental Property Calculator artwork matches the live workflow: property price, rent, vacancy, operating costs, mortgage payment, NOI, cap rate, cash flow, and cash-on-cash return. View in the smoke-kawaii gallery
Rental deal screen NOI, cap rate, cash flow Example inputs Tab-only history
Monthly shortfall-$129.35

$225,000 loan, rent less operating costs

Mortgage payment
$1,459.35
Monthly NOI
$1,330.00
Cap rate
5.32%
Cash-on-cash return
-1.8928641553%

This does not include depreciation, income tax, passive-loss rules, capex timing, rent control, tenant quality, or lender rental-income worksheets.

Formula steps

  1. Subtract vacancy reserve, taxes, insurance, maintenance reserve, and operating costs from rent to estimate NOI.
  2. Estimate mortgage payment from loan amount, rate, and term.
  3. Subtract mortgage payment from NOI for cash flow.
  4. Compare NOI with property price and annual cash flow with cash invested.

How to use the Rental Property Calculator

  1. Enter property price, down payment, mortgage rate, loan term, and expected monthly rent.
  2. Add vacancy reserve, operating costs, property tax, insurance, maintenance reserve, and closing costs.
  3. Calculate, then compare monthly NOI, mortgage payment, monthly cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.
  4. Check rent comps, tax records, insurance quotes, HOA rules, repair history, lender rules, and local landlord rules before trusting a deal.

What people use it for

Screen whether monthly rent covers estimated costs.

Estimate cap rate before financing effects.

Estimate cash-on-cash return after mortgage payment.

Compare vacancy, maintenance, tax, insurance, and expense assumptions.

Quick examples

Rental house

$300k property, $2,400 rent, 25% down

$129.35 monthly shortfall, 5.32% cap rate

Condo

$220k condo, $1,750 rent, higher expenses

$189.58 monthly shortfall, 4.65% cap rate

Higher rent

$420k property, $4,200 rent, 25% down

$552.08 monthly cash flow, 7.50% cap rate

Need the guide or a nearby tool?

Need a slower walkthrough, a related calculator, or the full library? These links keep you close to the task you started.

Frequently asked questions

Plain-language answers about when to use the estimate, what your numbers mean, what is left out, and how privacy works.

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.

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