Rental Cash Flow Calculator
Monthly cash flow, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, DSCR, and break-even rent for a Vancouver or Clark County rental, from your own numbers.
Enter your own numbers and this calculator returns monthly cash flow, net operating income, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, DSCR, and the rent you need to break even. Nothing is sent to a server. The starting values are placeholders, not market data, so replace every one with your property's figures.
Purchase and financing
Income
Operating expenses
Percent-of-rent expenses are calculated on rent after vacancy. Management fee is applied to rent actually collected, which is how a percent-of-collected-rent fee works. The share link below keeps your numbers in the URL so you can send it to a partner or lender. Copy share link
How to read the results
Monthly cash flow is what is left after every operating expense and the mortgage payment. Positive means the property pays you each month. Negative means you are feeding it, which can still make sense if you are counting on appreciation and principal paydown, but you should go in knowing the number.
Cap rate divides net operating income by the purchase price and ignores your loan, so it compares properties on their own merits. Cash-on-cash return divides annual cash flow by the cash you actually put in, so it reflects your financing. Our post on cap rate versus cash-on-cash return walks through when each one matters.
DSCR, the debt service coverage ratio, is NOI divided by annual mortgage payments. Lenders who write DSCR loans generally want to see it above 1.0, and many prefer 1.2 or higher. Gross rent multiplier is a quick screening number covered in our GRM guide: lower is cheaper relative to rent.
Break-even rent is the monthly rent at which cash flow hits zero with your current expense assumptions. If it is above what comparable homes actually rent for in your neighborhood, the deal depends on something other than rent.
Assumptions worth checking
- Vacancy. Five percent equals about 18 days a year. A full turnover with cleaning and marketing usually costs a month, so budget for the real turnover rhythm of your property type. See how to reduce vacancy in Clark County.
- Maintenance and capital reserves. Percent-of-rent reserves are a planning shortcut. A 1970s house with an original roof needs more than a 2018 build. Our hidden rental property costs post lists the expenses owners most often leave out.
- Property tax. Use the actual figure from your Clark County statement, and remember it is reassessed. First-year buyers often see a jump after the sale price is recorded.
- Management. Fee structures differ. A company that charges 8% plus a placement fee equal to half a month's rent costs more than the 8% suggests in a year with a turnover. Enter those fees in the leasing line so the comparison is honest.
- Taxes on income. This calculator is pre-tax. Depreciation and deductions change the after-tax picture, which is covered in our depreciation guide and deductions checklist.
Want a rent number to plug in?
The instant rental analysis pulls comps for a specific Vancouver or Clark County address and returns a rent estimate in seconds. Use it for the rent line, then run the rest of the numbers here.
Frequently asked questions
Is this calculator specific to Vancouver, WA?
The formulas are universal. What makes the result local is what you enter: Clark County property tax, local insurance quotes, and a rent figure drawn from Vancouver comps. Our instant rental analysis supplies the rent estimate for a specific address.
What is a good cash-on-cash return for a rental?
It depends on your alternatives and risk tolerance. Many buy-and-hold investors look for high single digits or better on leveraged purchases, while owners who bought years ago and are deciding whether to keep renting compare against what the equity would earn elsewhere. The calculator gives you the number; the target is yours to set.
Why does the management fee only apply to collected rent?
Because that is how a percent-of-collected-rent fee works in practice. If the unit is vacant or rent is not paid that month, a manager on that structure earns nothing. VPMG charges 8% of rent collected with a $199 monthly minimum, plus a one-time placement fee of 50% of the first month's rent when a new tenant is placed. There are no setup, renewal, vacancy, or maintenance markup fees.
Does the calculator store my numbers?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent to us. If you want to keep or share a scenario, use the share link, which encodes your inputs in the page address.