Rental Property Cash Flow Calculator
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"name": "What is cash flow in rental property?",
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"text": "Cash flow is the net income from a real estate investment after all mortgage payments and operating expenses have been made. Positive cash flow means the property generates more money than it costs to own."
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Rental Property Cash Flow Calculator
Analyze your real estate investment deal instantly.
Investment Analysis
Monthly Mortgage Payment (P&I):$0.00
Total Monthly Expenses:$0.00
Net Operating Income (NOI) / Mo:$0.00
Monthly Cash Flow:$0.00
Annual Cash Flow:$0.00
Cash on Cash Return:0.00%
function calculateCashFlow() {
// Get Inputs
var price = parseFloat(document.getElementById('purchasePrice').value) || 0;
var downPercent = parseFloat(document.getElementById('downPayment').value) || 0;
var rate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('interestRate').value) || 0;
var years = parseFloat(document.getElementById('loanTerm').value) || 0;
var rent = parseFloat(document.getElementById('monthlyRent').value) || 0;
var otherInc = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherIncome').value) || 0;
var taxes = parseFloat(document.getElementById('annualTaxes').value) || 0;
var insurance = parseFloat(document.getElementById('annualInsurance').value) || 0;
var maintPercent = parseFloat(document.getElementById('maintenance').value) || 0;
var vacancyPercent = parseFloat(document.getElementById('vacancy').value) || 0;
// Calculations
var downAmount = price * (downPercent / 100);
var loanAmount = price – downAmount;
// Mortgage Calculation (P&I)
var monthlyRate = (rate / 100) / 12;
var numPayments = years * 12;
var mortgage = 0;
if (rate > 0) {
mortgage = loanAmount * (monthlyRate * Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, numPayments)) / (Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, numPayments) – 1);
} else {
mortgage = loanAmount / numPayments;
}
// Monthly Income
var totalMonthlyIncome = rent + otherInc;
// Monthly Expenses
var monthlyTax = taxes / 12;
var monthlyIns = insurance / 12;
var monthlyMaint = totalMonthlyIncome * (maintPercent / 100);
var monthlyVacancy = totalMonthlyIncome * (vacancyPercent / 100);
var operatingExpenses = monthlyTax + monthlyIns + monthlyMaint + monthlyVacancy;
var totalExpenses = operatingExpenses + mortgage;
// Results
var monthlyNOI = totalMonthlyIncome – operatingExpenses;
var monthlyCashFlow = totalMonthlyIncome – totalExpenses;
var annualCashFlow = monthlyCashFlow * 12;
// Cash on Cash Return (Annual Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested)
// Assuming Closing costs approx 2% of price for rough estimate in CoC,
// but strictly using Down Payment is safer if not specified inputs.
// Let's stick to Down Payment for purity of calculation based on visible inputs.
var totalCashInvested = downAmount;
var cocReturn = 0;
if(totalCashInvested > 0) {
cocReturn = (annualCashFlow / totalCashInvested) * 100;
}
// Update DOM
var fmt = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', { style: 'currency', currency: 'USD' });
document.getElementById('resMortgage').innerText = fmt.format(mortgage);
document.getElementById('resExpenses').innerText = fmt.format(totalExpenses);
document.getElementById('resNOI').innerText = fmt.format(monthlyNOI);
var cashFlowEl = document.getElementById('resMonthlyCashFlow');
cashFlowEl.innerText = fmt.format(monthlyCashFlow);
if(monthlyCashFlow < 0) {
cashFlowEl.classList.add('negative');
} else {
cashFlowEl.classList.remove('negative');
}
var annualEl = document.getElementById('resAnnualCashFlow');
annualEl.innerText = fmt.format(annualCashFlow);
if(annualCashFlow < 0) {
annualEl.classList.add('negative');
} else {
annualEl.classList.remove('negative');
}
var cocEl = document.getElementById('resCoC');
cocEl.innerText = cocReturn.toFixed(2) + "%";
if(cocReturn < 0) {
cocEl.classList.add('negative');
} else {
cocEl.classList.remove('negative');
}
// Show results
document.getElementById('resultsSection').style.display = "block";
}
Understanding Rental Property Cash Flow
Investing in real estate is a powerful way to build wealth, but simply buying a property doesn't guarantee profit. The most critical metric for any buy-and-hold investor is Cash Flow. This calculator helps you evaluate the potential profitability of a rental property by analyzing income against all associated expenses.
How to Use This Calculator
To get an accurate analysis, input the following details:
Purchase Price & Down Payment: Determines your loan amount and initial cash investment.
Loan Details: Your interest rate and term (usually 30 years) dictate your monthly mortgage payment (Principal & Interest).
Rental Income: Be realistic. Check local comps (comparable properties) to see what similar units rent for.
Operating Expenses: Don't forget the "silent killers" like vacancy reserves and maintenance. A standard rule of thumb is setting aside 5-10% of rent for each.
Key Metrics Explained
Net Operating Income (NOI): This is your total income minus operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy), excluding the mortgage payment. It measures the property's raw profitability.
Cash Flow: This is what ends up in your pocket every month. It is calculated as NOI minus your mortgage payment.
Formula: (Rent – Expenses) – Mortgage Payment = Cash Flow
Cash on Cash Return (CoC): This measures the return on the actual cash you invested (down payment), rather than the total property value. It allows you to compare real estate returns against other investments like stocks. A CoC return of 8-12% is often considered a solid target for rental properties.
Example Calculation
Imagine purchasing a property for $250,000 with 20% down ($50,000).
Loan Amount: $200,000 at 6.5% interest.
Monthly Mortgage: ~$1,264.
Taxes & Insurance: ~$350/month.
Maintenance & Vacancy (10% total): $220/month.
Total Expenses: ~$1,834/month.
If the property rents for $2,200/month, your positive cash flow is $366/month, or $4,392/year. This results in an 8.7% Cash on Cash return on your $50,000 down payment.