Investor Tools
Rental Property Cash Flow Analyzer
Enter acquisition, financing, income, and expense assumptions to estimate rental cash flow.
Cap rate vs cash-on-cash
Cap rate is a property-level return before financing (NOI ÷ purchase price). Cash-on-cash measures return on modeled cash invested after debt service. They answer different questions and should be reviewed together.
Reading DSCR
DSCR compares NOI with annual debt service. A result above 1.00x means projected NOI exceeds modeled debt service. Program requirements vary by lender, property, leverage, and borrower profile — this tool does not determine eligibility.
What NOI includes
NOI uses effective gross income minus operating expenses. Mortgage principal and interest are intentionally excluded from NOI and applied later as debt service when estimating cash flow.
Why estimates differ from reality
Actual cash flow depends on rent collection, vacancy, repairs, insurance changes, tax reassessment, reserves, and lender-specific underwriting. Treat these outputs as planning inputs, not a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is rental property cash flow?+
Modeled cash flow is net operating income minus annual debt service. Monthly cash flow divides NOI by 12 and subtracts the monthly mortgage payment assumption.
What expenses are included in NOI?+
NOI uses vacancy-adjusted income and other income, then subtracts operating expenses such as taxes, insurance, HOA, management, maintenance, CapEx reserves, utilities, and other operating costs you enter.
Does NOI include mortgage payments?+
No. Debt service is intentionally excluded from NOI and applied afterward when estimating cash flow and DSCR.
What is a good DSCR?+
DSCR above 1.00x means projected NOI exceeds modeled debt service. There is no universal minimum. Program requirements vary by lender, property, leverage, and borrower profile.
What is the difference between cap rate and cash-on-cash return?+
Cap rate is NOI divided by purchase price and ignores financing. Cash-on-cash return divides annual cash flow by modeled cash invested after debt service.
Why does actual cash flow differ from this estimate?+
Real results depend on rent collection, vacancy, repairs, insurance and tax changes, reserves, and lender-specific underwriting. This analyzer is a planning tool, not an approval or quote.
Keep exploring
Continue with rental financing analysis
Compare DSCR coverage, payment structures, and Pillar’s rental loan paths before requesting a lender-reviewed scenario.
DSCR Rental Loan Calculator
Model rent versus payment and estimated DSCR for buy-and-hold rentals.
DSCR Rental Loans
Review purchase, rate-and-term, and cash-out paths for investment rentals.
Cap Rate Calculator
Calculate capitalization rate or estimate value from NOI and a cap-rate assumption.