Rental cash flow, from the rent to what's left

Enter the rent and the rental's costs. The calculator shows the rent you'd collect after an allowance for empty months, the monthly costs, and the cash left each month and each year.

Where to find your numbers

• Rent a month. Use the rent in the lease, or the figure you plan to charge.
• Vacancy. This is a percentage of the rent set aside for months the place sits empty between tenants. Enter a figure from your own history if you have one.
• Mortgage payment a month. Use the principal and interest from the mortgage statement. If taxes and insurance are paid through escrow, the statement's total includes them. In that case, enter the full payment here and zero for tax and insurance below, so nothing is counted twice.
• Property tax a year. Use the amount on the tax bill.
• Insurance a year. Use the premium on the policy that covers the rented house. Your agent or insurer can tell you what the policy covers. A landlord policy covers the home, its contents, lost rental income, legal fees and liability claims.
• HOA a month. Use the dues on the association's statement, or zero.
• Maintenance, of rent. This is a percentage of the rent set aside for repairs and upkeep. Enter a share that fits the age and condition of the house.
• Management, of rent collected. Enter a property manager's percentage, or zero if you manage the rental yourself.

What the figures mean

Rent collected a month is the rent minus the vacancy allowance. Costs a month adds the mortgage, a month's share of the tax and insurance, the HOA dues, the maintenance allowance and the management percentage. Cash flow is what's left, a month and a year.

A negative cash flow means the costs are more than the rent collected.

Property taxes and insurance premiums can change, and an escrow payment changes with them. Run the figures again when a new mortgage statement, tax bill or policy arrives. If the loan has no escrow account, the tax and insurance bills come to you directly, as one or two large bills.

What it leaves out

Income tax on the rent, depreciation, and the cost of a large repair in a single year aren't in the calculator. Neither are utilities you pay for the tenant. If you pay any utilities, add them to the HOA line as a monthly figure.

In a house built before 1978, peeling, chipping or cracking lead-based paint needs prompt attention, so set the maintenance figure for an older house with that in mind.