House Hacking Calculator
Live in one unit or room, rent the rest, and see what your home actually costs you each month - compared with renting, and with every unit rented after you move out.
Rental income is an assumption until these are confirmed
The calculator counts rent from the other units, but whether you may rent them depends on local rules and your loan. Tick each item once you have confirmed it for this property (0 of 6 confirmed).
1. The property
Used only for the move-out scenario.
2. Purchase and mortgage
PMI or FHA MIP from your lender's quote.
3. Operating costs for the whole property
Share of rent lost to empty months and unpaid rent.
Set aside for roofs, systems and appliances; kept below NOI.
Licensing, accounting, pest control, landscaping and similar.
4. Compare with renting
Results
- Your net housing cost
- $1,985/mo
- After the tenants' rent
- Costs more than renting
- $285/mo
- Against $1,700 rent
- Total monthly housing cost
- $3,505
- Mortgage, insurance, taxes, operating costs, reserves
- Rent collected from others
- $1,520
- $1,600 before vacancy
- Cash to close
- $27,000
- Down payment + closing costs
- If you move out and rent every unit
- -$465/mo
- DSCR 0.96×
- Tenants' rent$1,520
- You$1,985
| Change in other rents | Your monthly cost |
|---|---|
| -20% | $2,289 |
| -10% | $2,137 |
| 0% | $1,985 |
| +10% | $1,833 |
Cash items vs non-cash items
| Item | Type | How it is treated here |
|---|---|---|
| Operating expenses | Cash | Subtracted to get NOI. |
| Mortgage payment | Cash | $2,275/mo subtracted after NOI. About $290/mo of it in year 1 is principal - cash out, but it becomes equity rather than an expense. |
| CapEx reserve | Cash set aside | $200/mo held back for future replacements; subtracted from cash flow, kept out of NOI. |
| Depreciation | Non-cash (tax) | Not included. A tax deduction that can reduce taxable rental income, not money spent. Recaptured when you sell. |
| Appreciation | Non-cash | Not included. Changes wealth only when you sell or refinance. |
| Income taxes | Cash (yours) | Not included. All figures are pre-tax; your tax depends on your situation. |
How the numbers work
- Your net housing cost = mortgage payment + mortgage insurance + operating costs + CapEx reserve − rent collected from the other units after vacancy.
- Operating costs are for the whole property; maintenance and CapEx default to dollar amounts because your own unit wears too.
- The move-out figure keeps the same loan and mortgage insurance and adds your unit's market rent. Your loan's occupancy terms decide when that is allowed.
- Uses the same engine as the rental cash flow calculator. Figures are pre-tax and illustrative.
Terms: house hacking, FHA loan, PMI, vacancy rate, CapEx reserve.
Looking at a specific 2-4 unit property?
A Rental Property Analysis checks the rents, expenses and value for a real address. It does not confirm zoning, licensing or loan eligibility - verify those locally.
See the Rental Property AnalysisHouse hacking questions
What is house hacking?
Living in one unit of a small multifamily property, or one room of a house, and renting the others so the tenants' rent covers part or all of your housing cost.
Is the rent from the other units guaranteed?
No. Units can sit empty and tenants can fall behind, so the calculator subtracts a vacancy allowance - and renting is only possible where zoning, licensing, occupancy and loan rules allow it.
Can I use an owner-occupied loan on a fourplex?
Some owner-occupied loan programs allow two-to-four-unit properties if you live in one unit. The occupancy period, down payment and how lenders count rental income vary by program; confirm with your lender.
What happens when I move out?
If the loan terms and local rules allow, you can rent your unit too. The move-out figures show the cash flow with every unit rented on the same loan.
Educational Use Only: Reaixo provides estimates and scenario calculations for informational and educational purposes. Reaixo is not acting as a real-estate broker, appraiser, lender, financial advisor, tax advisor, accountant, or investment advisor. Rental income, vacancy, expenses, property values, financing terms and investment performance can vary materially. Calculator results are not an investment recommendation, appraisal, loan offer, or guarantee of future returns.
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