Rental property cash flow calculator
Enter a property's numbers to see monthly cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash return. Works for single-family buy-and-hold, small multifamily and Section 8 rentals.
Your numbers
Free ToolEffective rent (after vacancy)—
Operating expenses—
Net operating income (monthly)—
Mortgage payment (P&I)—
Monthly cash flow—
Cap rate—
Cash-on-cash return—
Total cash invested—
Cap rate = annual NOI ÷ price. Cash-on-cash = annual cash flow ÷ (down payment + closing costs). Estimates only, before income taxes and capital expenditures.
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What is a good cash-on-cash return for a rental property?
Most buy-and-hold investors target a cash-on-cash return of 8% or higher, though acceptable returns vary by market and strategy. Cash-on-cash measures your annual pre-tax cash flow against the actual cash you put into the deal (down payment plus closing costs), which makes it the truest measure of how hard your invested dollars are working.
What is the difference between cap rate and cash-on-cash return?
Cap rate is annual net operating income divided by the purchase price and ignores financing entirely, so it lets you compare properties on their own merits. Cash-on-cash return factors in your mortgage and down payment, showing the actual return on the cash you invested. A property can have a modest cap rate but a strong cash-on-cash return when leverage is used well.
Does this work for multifamily and Section 8 rentals?
Yes. Enter the total combined rent for all units as the monthly rent. For Section 8, use the HUD fair market rent for each unit, which you can look up by market on our Section 8 rent pages. The cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash math is identical.
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