Free rental planning tool
Rental income goal calculator
Estimate how many rentals would be needed for a monthly cash flow goal under your assumptions.
How this calculation works
The remaining goal is the target less existing rental cash flow, with a minimum of zero. Divide that gap by assumed cash flow per rental and round up to a whole rental. Use cash flow after operating costs, debt service, and reserves.
Assumptions to review
A rental count is not a retirement plan. Vacancy, repairs, financing, taxes, concentration, and personal costs can change the result. No positive rental count can close a gap when assumed additional cash flow is zero or negative.
Set and test a rental income goal
Start with the amount you want rentals to provide. Review your household budget, savings commitments and less frequent expenses before choosing a monthly target. Decide which costs rental income should cover. Keep personal emergency savings separate from the rental's repair and vacancy reserves. The CFPB spending guide can help you assemble a realistic starting budget.
Use cash flow after costs. Enter the amount existing rentals leave after operating expenses, debt payments and reserves, rather than gross rent. Estimate an additional rental on the same basis. For a $5,000 target, $1,000 of existing cash flow and $300 per additional rental, the $4,000 gap requires 14 additional rentals under those assumptions. The count rounds up because a fraction of a rental cannot meet the full goal.
Try a less favorable scenario. If that additional cash flow falls to $200, the same gap requires 20 rentals. Revisit the inputs when rent, vacancy, borrowing costs or personal needs change. This tool does not calculate acquisition funding, years to retirement, portfolio withdrawals or an investment return. Review those separately before turning a hypothetical count into a purchase plan.