Rental Property (Cash Flow) Calculator — San Jose, CA
Pre-filled with localized assumptions for San Jose. Replace the defaults with your real numbers (rent comps, taxes, insurance, repairs, and reserves) to get an accurate result.
Inputs
Results
- Effective rent (after vacancy): $2,880
- Operating expenses (incl. PM): $1,740
- NOI: $1,140
- Mortgage: $3,326
- Cash flow: -$2,186
Tip: Add closing costs for a full pro forma. Use the projection below to see rent growth and appreciation over time.
Long-term projection
After 10 years: $452,783 equity, -$249,333 cumulative cash flow, property worth $873,546 with $420,763 left on the loan. Assumes 2% annual rent growth (expenses grow at the same rate) and 3% appreciation — projections are estimates, not guarantees.
San Jose Underwriting Starting Point
These are editable scenario inputs, not a live appraisal or market quote. They help you start an analysis consistently; replace every figure with property-specific rent comps, the current tax bill, an insurance quote, and your actual financing terms.
San Jose Local Market Note
Informational onlySan Jose anchors the highest-income metro in the country, and its Apartment Rent Ordinance caps increases at 5% per year for pre-1979 multifamily — check whether a building falls under city or only state (AB 1482) rules. Entry prices above $1M push most investors toward ADU additions or house hacking in neighborhoods like Alum Rock and Berryessa rather than pure cash-flow plays.
Local context for general information — not financial, legal, or tax advice. Verify current regulations and market data before making investment decisions.
How to Use This Rental Property Calculator (Mini Guide)
This is a quick underwriting pass to estimate cash flow and NOI using vacancy, reserves, and operating expense assumptions — so you don’t buy “paper cash flow.” These defaults are pre-filled for San Jose, CA. Always replace them with your real numbers when you have them.
What this calculator measures
It estimates: monthly cash flow, NOI (income after operating expenses), and simplified returns.
It’s meant to answer: “Does this deal survive real expenses and still cash flow?”
Inputs that matter most (verify these first)
Market rent (not seller rent): validate with comps.
Vacancy: even great rentals go vacant — 0% is unrealistic.
Taxes + insurance: often change after purchase and vary by location.
Reserves (maintenance/CapEx): prevents ‘cash flow’ disappearing after a roof/HVAC/turnover.
3-minute underwriting workflow
Enter purchase price + financing terms.
Enter market rent + realistic vacancy.
Enter taxes/insurance (or start with defaults, then refine).
Keep reserves non-zero unless you have strong documentation that it’s truly turnkey.
How to interpret the output
If cash flow is barely positive, one repair can flip the deal negative.
NOI helps compare deals across markets. Cash flow tells you if the deal pays you monthly after debt.
For accuracy, treat rehab, closing costs, and initial reserves as part of your cash invested.
Next steps
If it fails: don’t force it — price is likely too high or rent is overstated.
If it passes: stress test vacancy and expenses, then build a fuller 5–10 year model.
How to use this calculator in San Jose
Start with the pre-filled assumptions for San Jose, then replace them with your deal’s numbers. If you’re an investor, keep vacancy and reserves conservative. If you’re a homeowner, pay special attention to property taxes and insurance — these often drive the rent vs buy decision.
Nearby cities in CA
Explore nearby cities to compare assumptions and outcomes.