Calculate Ability

Rental ROI / Cash Flow Calculator

Monthly cash flow, cash-on-cash return and cap rate.

Inputs

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yrs
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$/yr
$/yr
$/mo
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Results

Monthly cash flow

$90.47

$1,086 per year on $81,000 invested

Cash-on-cash return1.34%
Cap rate6.35%
Net operating income$19,049
Effective gross income$29,640
Operating expenses$10,591
Annual debt service$17,963
Loan amount$225,000
Total cash invested$81,000
DSCR1.06
1% rule0.87% of price
Gross rent multiplier9.6

Most commercial lenders want a DSCR of 1.25 or higher. Below that, financing may require a larger down payment.

$90/mo · 1.3% CoC · 6.3% cap

How this is calculated

Rental analysis works from the top of the income statement down. Gross scheduled rent is reduced by vacancy to give effective gross income, then operating expenses are subtracted to produce net operating income. Debt service comes out last:

EGI = (rent + other income) × 12 − vacancy loss

NOI = EGI − operating expenses

cash flow = NOI − annual debt service

Critically, NOI excludes the mortgage. That is what allows cap rate to compare properties independently of how each buyer financed them:

cap rate = NOI ÷ purchase price × 100

cash-on-cash = annual cash flow ÷ total cash invested × 100

DSCR = NOI ÷ annual debt service

The 1% rule is a quick screen, not an analysis: monthly rent at or above 1% of the purchase price suggests the deal is worth underwriting properly. Gross rent multiplier, price divided by annual gross rent, works the same way as a fast comparison between listings.

Maintenance, capital expenditure and management are entered as percentages of rent because they scale with the property rather than being fixed bills. Skipping the CapEx reserve is the most common reason a rental that looked profitable on paper loses money over a full ownership cycle.

Frequently asked questions