YieldBadger

House hacking calculator

Live in one unit and rent out the others. See what living there really costs you each month compared with renting.

Fill with local data

Enter a city, ZIP or address to fill rents, property tax and mortgage rate. Every value stays editable.

Include the city and state, or a ZIP code

Purchase and loan
$
%
$
%
yrs
%
Rents
units
$
%
$
Ownership costs
$
$
$
%
$
Your monthly housing cost
$1,837
Savings vs renting
$63.30
Rent from tenants
$1,710
Tenants cover
48%
If you move out
-$126.70
Principal and interest
$2,440
Mortgage insurance
$176.92
Total ownership cost / mo
$3,547
Loan amount
$386,000
Cash needed to close
$26,000
Your housing cost$1,837

How this is calculated

  1. 1Loan = price × (1 − down payment %). Mortgage insurance = loan × yearly rate ÷ 12.
  2. 2Ownership cost = principal and interest + mortgage insurance + tax ÷ 12 + insurance ÷ 12 + HOA + utilities + maintenance % of the building's market rent (rent per unit × all units, yours included).
  3. 3Rent from tenants = rent per unit × units rented × (1 − vacancy %).
  4. 4Your housing cost = ownership cost − rent from tenants. Savings vs renting = your rent if you didn't buy − your housing cost.
  5. 5If you move out: rent from every unit × (1 − vacancy %) − ownership cost.

Not included: loan principal paydown, appreciation and tax effects, which usually make house hacking look better over time. Owner-occupied loans require you to live there, typically for at least a year.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use an FHA loan to house hack?
Yes. FHA loans allow 1–4 unit properties with as little as 3.5% down if you live in one of the units. Three- and four-unit properties must also pass a rent test (FHA's self-sufficiency rule).
What does "your housing cost" mean?
What you pay each month to live there after your tenants' rent is counted: your mortgage and expenses minus the rent you collect. Compare it with what you'd pay in rent elsewhere.
Should I count rent for the unit I live in?
No. Enter only the units you rent out. Your own unit's cost shows up as your housing cost.
What happens when I move out?
The property becomes a full rental. Run the rental cash flow calculator with every unit rented to see how it performs then.
Can I house hack a single-family home?
Yes, by renting out rooms, a basement or an accessory unit. Enter each rented room or unit as a unit, and check local rules on renting rooms.