Cash flow is the lifeblood of rental property investing. Before you close on any deal, you need to know exactly how much money the property will put in your pocket each month — after every expense is accounted for. Guessing doesn't cut it.
Use this calculator to run the full numbers: gross rent, vacancy, operating expenses, mortgage payment, NOI, cash-on-cash return, and cap rate. Every input updates in real time so you can model different scenarios in seconds.
True Monthly Cash Flow
See exactly what you'll pocket each month after vacancy, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, and your mortgage payment are all deducted.
Cash-on-Cash Return
Measure the annual return on your actual cash invested. This is the metric that tells you whether your money is working hard enough compared to other investments.
Expense Breakdown Chart
Visual donut chart shows exactly where your rent dollars go — vacancy, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, and your mortgage payment.
Cap Rate Analysis
Calculate the capitalization rate based on NOI and property value. Cap rate strips out financing, so you can compare deals on an apples-to-apples basis.
Rental Cash Flow Calculator
Calculate NOI, cash flow, cash-on-cash return & cap rate
Rental Income
Operating Expenses (Monthly)
Debt Service
Investment Details
Down payment + closing costs + rehab
Purchase price or current appraised value
Monthly Cash Flow
$225
Positive Cash Flow
Operating Expenses
Where Your Rent Goes
Positive Cash Flow? Time to Finance
Your numbers look good. Our investor loan programs qualify on property income, not personal tax returns. Get started with a free rate quote.
Cash Flow = NOI − Mortgage Payment
NOI = Effective Gross Income − Operating Expenses
Positive cash flow means the property pays for itself and puts money in your pocket. Use a DSCR calculator to check your loan qualification ratio.
Found a Property That Cash Flows? Let's Finance It.
Our DSCR loan programs qualify you based on the property's income — not your personal tax returns. Get a rate quote in minutes with no application fees.
How to Analyze Cash Flow on a Rental Property
Cash flow analysis is the foundation of every rental property investment decision. You can have the best location, the nicest finishes, and a great tenant — but if the numbers don't work on paper, the deal doesn't work. Period.
The process starts with gross rent. That's the total monthly rent the property commands based on market comparables. From there, you subtract a vacancy allowance (typically 5–10% depending on your market), which gives you your Effective Gross Income (EGI). This is a realistic picture of what you'll actually collect over the course of a year.
Next come operating expenses. Property taxes, insurance, maintenance reserves, and property management fees are the big four. If you self-manage, you can drop the management fee — but experienced investors include it anyway because your time has value, and you may hire a manager later. A 5–10% maintenance reserve accounts for roof repairs, HVAC replacement, appliance failures, and general wear. The calculator above handles all of this automatically.
What is a good cash-on-cash return for rental property?
Cash-on-cash return measures how hard your actual invested dollars are working. It divides your annual pre-tax cash flow by the total cash you put into the deal — down payment, closing costs, and any rehab money. An 8–12% cash-on-cash return is the sweet spot for most rental investors. Above 12% and you've found a strong performer. Below 5%, and you should ask whether the risk and management headaches are worth it compared to a simpler investment.
Keep in mind that cash-on-cash return doesn't capture appreciation, mortgage paydown, or tax benefits. A property returning 6% cash-on-cash might still be a solid deal once you factor in a 3% annual appreciation rate and the principal reduction your tenants are paying for. But cash flow is what keeps you solvent — appreciation is a bonus, not a strategy.
Our 30-year fixed rate DSCR loans help maximize cash-on-cash return by locking in a low, predictable payment for the life of the loan. A lower monthly payment means more cash flow, which means a higher return on your invested capital.
Run the numbers before you sign. Positive cash flow is non-negotiable.
Can you get a rental loan based on property cash flow instead of personal income?
Yes — that's exactly what DSCR loans are built for. DSCR stands for Debt Service Coverage Ratio, and it compares the property's Net Operating Income to the annual mortgage payment. If the NOI covers the debt by at least 1.2x, you qualify for most of our loan programs without providing tax returns, W-2s, or pay stubs.
For properties that don't hit the 1.2x threshold, our No-Ratio DSCR program removes the DSCR requirement entirely. You qualify based on LTV, credit score, and down payment. This works well for new acquisitions where rents haven't stabilized yet, or for short-term rentals with seasonal income fluctuations.
If you're scaling a portfolio, blanket loans let you consolidate multiple properties under one mortgage with a single DSCR calculation across the portfolio. Properties with strong cash flow can offset weaker ones, making it easier to qualify the entire group.
Cap Rate vs. Cash-on-Cash Return: What's the Difference?
Cap rate and cash-on-cash return answer different questions. Cap rate (Capitalization Rate) measures the property's return independent of financing. It divides the annual NOI by the property value, giving you a percentage that reflects the asset's pure income yield. A 6% cap rate property generates $6,000 in NOI for every $100,000 in value. Cap rate is useful for comparing properties regardless of how they're financed.
Cash-on-cash return, on the other hand, factors in your specific financing terms. Two investors can buy the same property — one puts 25% down, the other puts 40% down — and they'll have different cash-on-cash returns because their mortgage payments and invested capital are different. This is why leverage matters: a smaller down payment means less cash in, and if the property still cash flows, your return on invested capital is higher.
Rental Cash Flow Checklist
- Pull rent comps from at least 3 similar properties within a 1-mile radius
- Budget 5–10% vacancy — higher in markets with seasonal demand
- Include property management fees even if self-managing (8–12%)
- Reserve 5–10% of gross rent for maintenance and capital expenditures
- Verify property tax amounts with the county assessor — don't rely on listing estimates
- Target a DSCR of 1.2x or higher to qualify for the best loan terms
- Run scenarios with different down payment amounts to find the optimal cash-on-cash return
Ready to Finance Your Next Rental Property?
You've run the numbers. The cash flow works. Now let's get the financing locked in. Apply online or call us for a rate quote based on your property's income. No tax returns required, no application fees.