Monthly cash flow
$0.00
Positive means the property is left with cash each month after the costs entered.
Real Estate utility
Rental Cash Flow Calculator
Estimate monthly and annual rental cash flow after vacancy, mortgage payments, operating costs, and reserve spending.
Annual cash flow
$0.00
The yearly version of the same cash flow result.
Effective annual rent
$0.00
Rent after applying the vacancy allowance.
Annual costs
$0.00
Mortgage, monthly operating costs, and annual reserve combined.
Why cash flow usually feels tighter than rent minus mortgage
Rental cash flow gets overestimated when people assume rent arrives every month without interruption and forget the ongoing operating costs that sit outside the mortgage.
This calculator uses a vacancy allowance and a reserve line because both help you test whether the property is still comfortable when real-world friction shows up.
Cash flow answers a different question from yield
Yield tells you how the property performs relative to value. Cash flow tells you whether the property is likely to leave money in your pocket after the income and costs move through the real monthly budget.
Why conservative cash flow assumptions matter
Rental income can look comfortable until vacancy, repairs, and reserve costs are added. This page is meant to pressure-test the deal instead of assuming every month will go exactly to plan.
Use this page to screen for durability
If a property only works when vacancy is zero and repairs never happen, it is often too fragile. A stronger rental still looks workable after a realistic allowance is built into the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is rental cash flow?
Rental cash flow is the money left after rental income has covered vacancy, mortgage payments, and operating costs. Positive cash flow means the property is still generating cash after those costs are paid.
Why should I include a vacancy allowance?
Very few rentals stay fully occupied forever. A vacancy allowance creates a buffer so the income estimate is closer to real life instead of assuming every month is perfect.
What are reserve costs in a rental calculator?
Reserve costs are larger irregular expenses you still expect over time, such as appliance replacement, repairs, or periodic maintenance. They are not monthly every time, but they still belong in the budget.
Can a property have good yield but weak cash flow?
Yes. A property may look attractive on yield while still producing weak monthly cash flow once the mortgage and operating costs are included. That is why cash flow deserves its own page and its own test.
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