# Rental property calculator > Monthly cash flow is the rent you collect, minus the costs of running the property and the loan payment. Enter the price, down payment, interest rate, loan term, rent and costs. You get monthly cash flow, cash-on-cash return, the cap rate and a yearly view. Every number is one you type. Page: https://pdfinish.com/rental-property-calculator Last updated: October 31, 2026 ## The formulas in words - Loan amount = purchase price minus down payment. - Monthly loan payment = the equal monthly payment that repays the loan over its term at your interest rate. - Rent collected = monthly rent minus the vacancy share. - Operating costs = property tax and insurance divided by 12, plus repairs, the management fee on rent collected, and other costs. - Net operating income = rent collected minus operating costs. - Monthly cash flow = net operating income minus the loan payment. - Cash-on-cash return = yearly cash flow divided by the cash you put in (down payment plus closing costs). ## Worked example You buy for $300,000 with $60,000 down, borrow $240,000 at 6.5% for 30 years, and pay $6,000 in closing costs. Rent is $2,800 a month with 5% vacancy and an 8% management fee. Tax is $3,600 a year, insurance $1,200, repairs $150 a month and other costs $100. Rent collected is $2,660, costs are $862.80 and the loan payment is $1,516.96, so cash flow is $280.24 a month, or $3,362.84 a year. On $66,000 in, the cash-on-cash return is 5.1%. ## What is cash-on-cash return? Cash-on-cash return is the cash a rental pays you in a year, after costs and the loan payment, divided by the cash you put in. The cash you put in is the down payment plus closing costs. It tells you what the money you invested earns, not what the whole property is worth. ## Which costs should I include? Include property tax, insurance, repairs and upkeep, any management fee, and other costs you pay as the owner, such as utilities, association fees or lawn care. Leave out income tax and depreciation. Repairs are often higher than people expect, so enter an amount you could actually cover in a bad month. ## Does the loan payment include tax and insurance? No. The loan payment here is only principal and interest, worked out from the loan amount, rate and term you type. Property tax and insurance are entered on their own lines, so they are not counted twice. If your lender collects them with the payment, enter them once, in the cost boxes. ## How is this different from the cap rate? The cap rate leaves the loan out and compares net operating income with the price, so it works for any way of paying. Cash flow and cash-on-cash return include your loan and your cash in. Use the [cap rate calculator](https://pdfinish.com/cap-rate-calculator) to compare properties, and this page to test one purchase with a loan. ## Put the numbers on paper - [Lease agreement template](https://pdfinish.com/templates/lease-agreement): set the rent, deposit and term in writing. - [Rent receipt template](https://pdfinish.com/templates/rent-receipt): record each rent payment you collect. - [Late rent notice template](https://pdfinish.com/templates/late-rent-notice): ask for overdue rent when cash flow depends on it. - [Move-in inspection checklist](https://pdfinish.com/templates/move-in-inspection): record the condition of the unit when a tenant arrives. - [PDF tools and templates for landlords](https://pdfinish.com/for-landlords): the paperwork for a rental in one place. - [Cap rate calculator](https://pdfinish.com/cap-rate-calculator): compare properties before you borrow. - [All business calculators](https://pdfinish.com/calculators): the full list of free calculators. ## Key facts - Privacy: We don't sell your data. This tool runs in your browser, so your files stay on your device and are never uploaded. - Ads: none. No third-party ads and no ad cookies. - Limits: working out a result is free, needs no account and is never counted. Saving the result as a PDF counts as one of your free uses. Emailing it to yourself is optional. Pro has no limit on uses with Pro. - Price: free to start. The editable Excel version with live formulas is part of Pro, $2.99 a month or $24 a year. Pro cancels in one click. - Results are estimates for planning, not financial, tax or investment advice. ## Common questions ### Is the rental property calculator free? Yes. Working out a result is free, needs no account and is never counted. Saving the result as a PDF counts like any other PDFinish file under the free allowance shown on this page. The editable Excel version is part of Pro. ### Are my numbers uploaded? No. The maths runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to our servers. If you choose Email it to me, only the finished PDF is sent, to the address you give, and we delete it after 7 days. ### Can I use it for a purchase with no loan? Yes. Set the down payment equal to the price. The loan is then 0, no interest rate or term is needed, and cash flow is net operating income. Cash-on-cash return is then the yearly income divided by the price plus closing costs. ### What does the Excel download include? Pro members can download a spreadsheet with your inputs in cells and live formulas for the loan payment, cash flow, cash-on-cash return, the cap rate and the yearly view. Change a number in Excel or Google Sheets and every result updates. ### Is this financial or investment advice? No. The results are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or investment advice, and they leave out things like rate changes, big repairs, sale costs and taxes. Ask a qualified adviser before you buy a property.