The short answer
Estimate sustainable cash available after operating costs, debt, reserves and applicable taxes, then stress-test it. Unit count alone does not tell you whether a portfolio can support personal living expenses.
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Use conservative property results
Separate scheduled rent from collected receipts and include vacancy and major work. Do not treat borrowed funds, deposit money or temporary deferred repairs as spendable income.
Plan household and portfolio buffers
Consider variable expenses, insurance, financing changes and concentrated risks. Obtain financial and tax advice appropriate to your circumstances before depending on projected rental income.
Worked example
A $4,000 monthly target divided by $400 sustainable cash per unit suggests 10 units arithmetically. That is only a scenario: uneven repairs, vacancies and taxes can materially change both the per-unit result and required buffer.
References and next steps
Use these references for the specific topic they cover. Local requirements and individual circumstances may differ.
Written and maintained by the Rentari team. Examples explain a decision; they are not customer results. Found an error or an unclear step? Send a correction with this page's address and the detail to review.
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