Property Cash Flow Calculator | Free Rental Income Tool
Property Cash Flow Calculator
Free rental property cash flow calculator for investors. Enter the deal and see monthly cash flow, cash-on-cash return, cap rate and DSCR instantly. No signup, and nothing leaves your browser.
Try an example deal
Purchase and loan
Income (monthly)
Expenses
Monthly breakdown
| Gross income | |
| Vacancy loss | |
| Operating expenses | |
| Net operating income (NOI) | |
| Mortgage payment (principal and interest) | |
| Yearly cash flow | |
| Cash invested up front |
What is a rental property cash flow calculator?
A rental property cash flow calculator shows how much money an investment property puts in your pocket, or takes out of it, after every cost. It adds up rent, subtracts vacancy, operating expenses and the mortgage, and turns the result into the numbers investors use to compare deals.
Cash flow
The money left each month after rent, vacancy, expenses and the loan payment. Positive means the property pays for itself.
Returns
Cash-on-cash return and cap rate turn raw dollars into a percentage, so you can compare two very different properties fairly.
Risk
DSCR and break-even occupancy show how much rent you can lose before the property starts costing you money.
Rental property cash flow formulas
Every number in the calculator comes from a short formula. Use these if you want to check the result by hand or rebuild it in Excel or Google Sheets.
| Metric | Formula | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgage payment | P x r / (1 - (1 + r)^-n) | Monthly principal and interest. P is the loan, r the monthly rate, n the number of months. |
| NOI | Rent after vacancy - operating costs | Property income before the mortgage. |
| Monthly cash flow | NOI - mortgage payment | What you keep or pay in each month. |
| Cap rate | Yearly NOI / price | Return if you bought with cash. Good for comparing properties. |
| Cash-on-cash return | Yearly cash flow / cash invested | Return on the money you actually put in. |
| DSCR | NOI / mortgage payment | How comfortably income covers the loan. Lenders often want about 1.2 or more. |
| Break-even occupancy | (Expenses + mortgage) / gross rent | The share of the year the unit must be rented to cover all costs. |
| Gross rent multiplier | Price / yearly gross rent | A quick price-versus-rent screen. Lower is usually better. |
Worked example with the Family house preset: a 300,000 price, 25% down, 6.5% over 30 years and 2,600 rent gives about 292 per month (3,507 per year) in cash flow, a 6.9% cap rate and a 4.3% cash-on-cash return.
How to use the property cash flow calculator
It takes about a minute. Start with an example deal, then replace each number with your own.
Enter the purchase and loan
Add the price, down payment percentage, interest rate, loan term and closing or repair costs.
Add rent and vacancy
Use realistic rent from similar listings, plus other income. Keep a vacancy allowance of at least 5%.
Add every expense
Include tax, insurance, HOA or strata, maintenance and management. Missing costs are the most common reason a deal looks better than it is.
Read the results and stress test
Check cash flow and returns, then raise the rate or vacancy to see how the deal holds up. Copy the summary to save it.
Why this is the best free cash flow calculator for investors
Built for people who want an honest answer fast, not a lead form.
Instant, live results
Every change updates cash flow, returns and the income breakdown immediately. No submit button, no page reload.
Six metrics in one place
Cash flow, cash-on-cash, cap rate, DSCR, break-even occupancy and rent multiple, so one screen answers the full question.
Realistic expense inputs
Vacancy, maintenance and management are built in as percentages, so the numbers do not flatter the deal.
Private by design
All math runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server, and there is no account or email wall.
Works in any country
Pick a currency and use local costs. It suits investors in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Mobile friendly
The layout stacks cleanly on phones, so you can run the numbers while standing in the property.
Property cash flow calculator vs spreadsheets and other tools
Spreadsheets and broker calculators have their place. Here is how they usually compare with this tool.
| Feature | This calculator | Excel or Sheets template | Typical online calculators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free or paid | Often free, some paid |
| Setup time | None, open and use | Download, enable, check formulas | Usually none |
| Live results | Yes, as you type | Yes | Often needs a button click |
| Signup or email | Never | Sometimes for the download | Sometimes required to see results |
| Metrics shown | Cash flow, CoC, cap rate, DSCR, break-even, GRM | As many as you build | Often only a few |
| Vacancy, maintenance, management | Built in | Depends on the template | Sometimes missing |
| Works on a phone | Yes | Awkward | Varies |
| Privacy | Runs in your browser | Stays on your device | Varies, some store inputs |
| Custom formulas | Shown above, fixed model | Fully flexible | Fixed |
Comparison describes common patterns, not any single product. If you need multi-year projections or custom scenarios, a spreadsheet is the better next step, and the formulas above will help you build one.
What is a good cash flow, cap rate and DSCR?
These are common rules of thumb, not guarantees. Markets, interest rates and strategy change what counts as good.
| Metric | Common benchmark | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cash flow | Above zero, often 100 to 300 per unit | Negative means you top up the property every month. |
| Cash-on-cash return | About 8 to 12% | Lower can work if you expect strong growth. |
| Cap rate | Varies by market, often 5 to 10% | Higher usually means higher yield and higher risk. |
| DSCR | 1.2 or above | Below 1.0 means rent does not cover the loan. |
| Break-even occupancy | Below about 85% | The lower, the safer against vacancy. |
| 1% rule | Monthly rent of about 1% of price | A quick screen only. Expensive markets often fall short. |
Common mistakes when estimating cash flow
Leaving out vacancy, ignoring repairs and capital costs, using the asking rent instead of the achievable rent, forgetting management fees even when you self-manage, and not testing a higher interest rate. Run the deal again with worse numbers before you commit.
Property cash flow calculator FAQ
Short answers to the questions investors search most.
How do you calculate cash flow on a rental property?
Monthly cash flow equals rent minus vacancy, minus operating expenses (tax, insurance, maintenance, management, HOA), minus the mortgage payment. If the result is above zero the property has positive cash flow.
What is a good cash flow for a rental property?
Most investors want positive cash flow after every cost. Common rules of thumb are 100 to 300 dollars per unit per month or an 8 to 12 percent cash-on-cash return, but targets vary by market and strategy.
What is the difference between cash flow and NOI?
Net operating income (NOI) is rent after vacancy and operating expenses, before the mortgage. Cash flow is NOI minus your mortgage payment.
What is a good cash-on-cash return?
Many investors aim for roughly 8 to 12 percent, though a lower figure can be acceptable if the property is expected to grow in value. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Does this calculator work for Australia, the UK, Canada or Bangladesh?
Yes. Choose your currency and enter local costs such as council rates, strata fees or ground rent in the matching fields. It uses a standard repayment loan, so interest-only loans are not modelled.
Can I use it as a commercial property cash flow calculator?
Yes for a quick estimate. Enter lease income and only the costs you pay as owner. Check your loan term and rate, because commercial loans are often shorter.
Do I need an Excel template?
No. This calculator updates live in your browser and shows the formulas, so you can also rebuild it in Excel or Google Sheets if you prefer.
Is the calculator free and private?
It is free with no signup. All math runs in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded.
This tool gives estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Check numbers with a licensed professional before you buy.
Run your next deal through the numbers
Test the rent, rate and vacancy, then walk away from deals that only work on paper. Looking for more free tools?
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