Rental property cash flow calculator
Enter the deal and see monthly cash flow, NOI, cap rate, cash-on-cash return and DSCR instantly.
Monthly cash flow
-$252.80
Annual cash flow
-$3,034
Cash-on-cash
-5.28%
Cap rate
5.17%
DSCR
0.81
NOI (monthly)
$1,078
Mortgage (P&I)
$1,331
- Loan amount
- $200,000
- Cash invested
- $57,500
- Collected income / mo
- $2,090
- Operating expenses / mo
- $1,012
How this is calculated
- 1Collected income = (rent + other income) × (1 − vacancy %).
- 2Operating expenses = property tax ÷ 12 + insurance ÷ 12 + HOA + utilities + other + maintenance % and CapEx % of rent + management % of collected income.
- 3NOI (net operating income) = collected income − operating expenses.
- 4Mortgage payment uses the standard fixed-rate formula on the loan amount (price × (1 − down payment %)).
- 5Cash flow = NOI − mortgage payment.
- 6Cap rate = annual NOI ÷ purchase price. Cash-on-cash = annual cash flow ÷ (down payment + closing costs + rehab). DSCR = NOI ÷ mortgage payment.
Not included: income taxes, depreciation, appreciation and loan principal paydown. Those affect total return but not monthly cash flow.
Learn more
- What is a cap rate? How to calculate it and what it tells you
- Net operating income (NOI): what counts and how to calculate it
- Cash-on-cash return: the return on the money you actually put in
- Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) for rental properties
- The 1% rule in real estate, and why it's only a rough screen
- The BRRRR method: buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat
- How rent estimates work: HUD Fair Market Rents vs. Census medians
- How to track rental property income and expenses (free spreadsheet template)
Frequently asked questions
- What's a good monthly cash flow for a rental?
- There's no single number. Many investors look for at least $100–$200 a month per unit after setting money aside for maintenance and big repairs. A small positive cash flow on a cheap property can be a better return than a bigger one on an expensive property, so check cash-on-cash too.
- Why include maintenance and CapEx if nothing is broken?
- Because something will break. Roofs, HVAC systems and water heaters wear out on a schedule, and setting a little aside each month keeps one repair from wiping out a year of cash flow.
- Can I fill in local rent, taxes and rates?
- Yes. Enter a ZIP code and the calculator fills in a rent range, an estimated property tax and this week's average 30-year mortgage rate, with the source under each field. You can change any of them.
- Does this include appreciation or tax benefits?
- No. It shows cash flow: money in and out each month. Loan paydown, appreciation and depreciation deductions add to your total return but don't put cash in your pocket each month.
- Should I enter 0% management if I manage it myself?
- You can, but many investors still budget 8–10%. Your time is worth something, you may hire a manager later, and lenders often assume a management fee anyway.