Rented normally, it costs you £1,226 a month. That is £14,717 a year, every year you hold it.

Will it pay?Calculator

The mortgage alone costs more than the whole rent — you top up £1,226 a month

It is £1,226 a month short. Borrowing £226,422 less would close that shortfall — which is £226,422 more cash at the start, on top of the deposit.

+£5,062−£5,078−£1,210−£1,226

Rent inMortgageRunning costsShort by

The rent covers £5,062 of that — you cover £1,226

◧ market rent £5,062 · 18 comps2 empty weeks a year assumed

What if I change my assumptions?The dials

At the asking price, 25% deposit, 6.50% charged

Change any of these 16 and every card on this page changes with it. The 6.50% is the 5.75% quoted plus a company premium.

◧ worked out from local rents

What will it cost me to buy?Breakdown

£467,200 + refurb costs

And about £73,587 more over five years, because it loses £1,226 every month you hold it — before any repair. That already assumes the rent never falls.

£467,200 to buy it

deposit · stamp duty · solicitor · fees~£2,100, unseen

□ works not inspected

What would have to be true?The working

£300,000 off and it stops losing money

At the asking price you feed it £1,226 a month. At £947,998 the rent covers everything — leaving stamp duty of £85,950 at that price.

offer £947,998

asked £1,250,000

◧ worked back from the rent■ stamp duty re-bandedrounded down to £5,000 — the rent it works back from is an estimate

What will the rent borrow?Lender test

The rent carries £537,082 of the £937,500 loan

That £400,418 is yours to find on top of the deposit. Tested at 125% instead of 145% — a company or a basic-rate taxpayer usually is — the gap is £314,485. Lenders test the rent at 7.5% and need it to cover 145% of the payment.

£8,496 needed

more than the £4,867 rent

stressed at 7.5%, 145% cover

◧ rent after empty weeks £4,867PRA-style test

How big is it, really?The plan

One figure, and nothing checking it 1,238 sq ft

Only the agent’s figure exists for this house. Open for what that means.

□ area unchecked — agent’s own

Is it a good location?Open the map

London, W6 9TJ

1 of 5 schools in this postcode area rated Good or Outstanding and flood risk checking… — open for the map, the schools and the rest.

Article 4Not assessed for this address

■ postcode area, not this address

What could kill thisThe checks

You would need a licence from the council first

Letting without the council’s licence is an offence, and the fee is in no figure here.

2 problems found · 2 came back clear · 4 we could not check · 1 does not apply to this property

■ from council licensing registerlisting last seen 18 Sep 2026

Which strategy wins?The ways to run it

Every way loses money — Standard rental loses least, at £1,226 a month

Let it to the council: £25,488 a year less, but they keep paying when it is empty.

Standard rental−£1,226 · £469,300 in

Guaranteed council rent−£3,350 · £469,300 in

Rent by the room−£3,715 · £495,300 in

Housing-benefit rent−£3,777 · £469,300 in

Short-stay let−£4,859 · £469,300 in

190 nearby short-lets within 5.5 km · low confidence

Each row: money kept a month, then the cash it ties up. Not compared: Do it up, then remortgage (pays back at the remortgage) · Buy, improve & sell (pays out on sale)

◧ 5 ways, one measureranked on money kept each month, at the asking price

What would you walk away with, after 5 years?The five-year sums

−£139,446 after five years on the cash you put in, before tax on the sale

Less than the same cash would have made in a savings account, after tax on the interest. The savings account’s capital is not at risk; the property’s is. A fall of about 23% in the price would leave nothing from a sale after selling costs, and you would still owe the lender any shortfall. That is the £469,300 you put in. The 5-year fix runs past this 5-year hold, so the rate reset comes after it.

−£469,300+£1,381,608−£34,540−£937,500−£79,714−£139,446

Cash you put inSale valueSelling costsMortgageRent lossesYou are down

◧ 2.0%/yr growth assumed