Rental Property Cash Flow Calculator

This rental property cash flow calculator estimates monthly rent, operating expenses, mortgage payment, net operating income, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, and DSCR from a single set of deal assumptions.

Rental cash flow is estimated by subtracting operating expenses and debt service from rent. For planning, include vacancy, repairs, capital reserves, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, property management, and other recurring expenses. Follow the step-by-step rental cash flow guide for a worked example.

Operating expenses usually include taxes, insurance, HOA dues, management, vacancy, repairs, maintenance, and reserves. Mortgage principal and interest are debt service, not operating expenses, but they still affect cash flow. Use the rental operating expenses checklist to avoid missing or double-counting a category.

NOI measures income after property operations but before mortgage debt service. Cash flow subtracts debt service too, so it changes with the buyer's financing. See the full NOI versus cash flow comparison before interpreting cap rate, DSCR, or cash-on-cash return.

Cash-on-cash return compares annual cash flow to the cash invested in the deal. It helps you compare rental income against other uses of your capital, while still leaving room to consider risk and reserves.

There is no universal dollar benchmark because rent, expenses, financing, cash invested, and risk vary by deal. Start by confirming that cash flow stays positive after realistic vacancy, repairs, capital reserves, and debt service. Then compare the dollar result with rent, cash invested, and a downside case. The guide to average cash flow from rental property explains why $100 or $500 per month can mean very different things.

DSCR compares net operating income to debt service. Lenders and investors use it to understand whether a property has enough income to support the loan. After estimating cash flow, project the property's long-term wealth impact.