Rental property calculator
Run the numbers on a rental.
See the monthly cash flow on a Maryland or Virginia rental, the most you can offer to hit your target, and how the deal holds up when things go wrong.
At $450,000 this rental loses $899 a month. To reach $200 a month, offer $279,900 or less.
Monthly cash flow
−$899a month
Misses your target
At $450,000 this rental loses $899 a month. To reach $200 a month, offer $279,900 or less.
Cash flow a month
Max offer for $200 a month
$279,900You entered $450,000.
Start here
$112,500 down, $337,500 loan
Default for conventional investor loans: 8%. Investor loans price above the 7.28% Freddie Mac average for owner-occupied homes (October 1, 2026).
Not sure? Get real rent comps for this address
Stress tests
Monthly cash flow if one thing goes wrong. Green meets your target, amber stays above $0, red loses money.
Rate 1 point higher
−$1,138
Loses money
At 9%
Rent 10% lower
−$1,116
Loses money
At $2,520 a month
2 months vacant
−$1,200
Loses money
Over a year
$10,000 repair
−$1,733
Loses money
Spread over the first year
The property and who owns it
Used for the rent stabilization and lead paint rules.
Loan details
$0 at closing.
Income
Parking, pets, or storage.
About 2.5 weeks empty a year.
Operating costs
Of collected rent. Use 0 to manage it yourself.
Of scheduled rent, for repairs and replacements.
County 1.0401 plus state 0.112 per $100 (FY2027, typical address outside the cities). Homeowner credits do not apply to rentals. $5,184 a year at this price.
Solid waste charge $408.56 and Water Quality Protection Charge $157.50 for a typical single-family home.
Not included: Inside the Refuse Collection District, add $160 to the fixed charges. Urban districts add to the rate: Bethesda 0.0120, Silver Spring 0.0240, Wheaton 0.0300. Development districts add White Flint 0.1105 and West Germantown 0.1040.
A landlord policy. Get a quote for the real number.
Set by the location. See local rules below.
Only what you pay as the owner.
Hold period and sale
From year 2 on.
An assumption, not a forecast.
Property tax, insurance, HOA, utilities, and license fees.
Of the sale price. Commissions are negotiable.
Your assessment splits land and building. Close-in areas are often half land or more.
Monthly breakdown
- Scheduled rent
- $2,800.00
- Vacancy
- −$140.00
- Collected rent
- $2,660.00
- Management
- −$212.80
- Maintenance and capex
- −$280.00
- Property tax and fixed charges
- −$479.21
- Insurance
- −$100.00
- Rental or business license
- −$10.83
- Net operating income
- $1,577.16
- Mortgage (principal and interest)
- −$2,476.46
- Cash flow
- −$899.30
Cash to close
- Down payment (25%)
- $112,500.00
- Recordation tax
- $2,002.50
- County transfer tax
- $2,250.00
- State transfer tax
- $1,125.00
- Settlement, title, recording, and lender feesRough estimates
- $7,293.75
- Cash needed
- $125,171.25
Closing costs are estimated as an investor purchase, with no first-time buyer or principal residence exemptions, with Maryland transfer and recordation taxes split 50/50. See the Maryland closing cost calculator
Returns
Year 1
- Cap rateA year of net operating income over the price
- 4.21%
- Cash-on-cash returnA year of cash flow over the cash you put in
- −8.62%
- Debt service coverageNet operating income over the mortgage payment
- 0.64
- Principal paid down
- $2,819.35
- Depreciation deductionBuilding share only, over 27.5 years. For reference, not counted in returns.
- $11,454.55 a year
Over 10 years, then sell
- Total cash flow
- −$80,210.53
- AppreciationSale price $604,762.37
- $154,762.37
- Principal paid down
- $41,429.12
- Sale costsCommission $30,238.12 (5%) and seller transfer taxes $7,486.71
- −$37,724.83
- Purchase closing costs and points
- −$12,671.25
- Total profit
- $65,584.88
- Total return on cash invested
- 52.40%
- IRR (yearly rate)
- 3.42%
Net sale proceeds after the $296,070.88 loan payoff: $270,966.67. Returns are before income tax.
Year by year
| Year | Monthly rent | Rent increase | Cash flow for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,800.00 | None | −$10,791.58 |
| 2 | $2,884.00 | 3% | −$10,223.80 |
| 3 | $2,970.52 | 3% | −$9,638.99 |
| 4 | $3,059.64 | 3% | −$9,036.63 |
| 5 | $3,151.42 | 3% | −$8,416.21 |
| 6 | $3,245.97 | 3% | −$7,777.17 |
| 7 | $3,343.35 | 3% | −$7,118.96 |
| 8 | $3,443.65 | 3% | −$6,441.01 |
| 9 | $3,546.96 | 3% | −$5,742.71 |
| 10 | $3,653.36 | 3% | −$5,023.47 |
Local rules for Montgomery County
No rent cap
Rent stabilization does not apply. You own 2 or fewer rentals in Montgomery County in your own name. That changes if you buy through an LLC or own a third rental.
Rental license: $130 a year
Montgomery County rental housing license: $130 a year for a house or townhouse, $73 for a condo (FY2027).
Lead paint: built before 1978?
Maryland requires rentals built before 1978 to be registered ($75 per unit every 2 years) and to pass a lead dust inspection before each new tenant. Enter the year built to include it.
Rent comps
Get real rent comps for this address.
Rent makes or breaks a rental. Send Amir the address and get recent leases for similar homes nearby.
How the numbers work
What each number means.
Cash flow
The rent you collect after vacancy, minus operating costs (management, maintenance, property tax, insurance, HOA, utilities, and license fees), minus the mortgage payment. Above zero, the rental pays for itself each month.
Max offer
The highest price that still reaches your target cash flow, with your down payment, rate, rent, and costs held the same. A lower price also lowers the property tax and the loan, and the calculator accounts for both.
Stress tests
Each test changes one thing and shows the new monthly cash flow. Green meets your target, amber stays above zero but falls short, and red loses money.
Cap rate and cash-on-cash
Cap rate is a year of net operating income divided by the price, before the mortgage. Cash-on-cash is a year of cash flow divided by the cash you put in: down payment, points, and closing costs.
Debt service coverage
Net operating income divided by the mortgage payment. Below 1.0, the rent does not cover the loan. DSCR lenders use their own version: rent divided by principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA.
Total return and IRR
Over the hold period, every year of cash flow plus what you keep from the sale after commission, seller transfer taxes, and the loan payoff. IRR turns that into a yearly rate. Both are before income tax.
Depreciation
Tax rules let you deduct the cost of the building, not the land, over 27.5 years. It is shown for reference and is not counted in the returns. Ask a tax advisor how it applies to you.
Rent stabilization
Montgomery County, Takoma Park, and Prince George's County limit yearly rent increases on some rentals. Whether a cap applies depends on the year built, who owns the home, and how many rentals they own. Virginia localities cannot cap rents.
Next step
Numbers are only the start of the conversation.
Amir can walk you through what these estimates mean for your purchase or sale, and which costs are worth raising before you sign.