Calculators › House Hack Calculator
Getting startedRent out the other units or rooms while you live in one, and your real housing cost is whatever is left after their rent. This shows that number, how much of your payment the tenants cover, and the rent you would need to live for free. It updates as you type.
Your property
Owner-occupied loans often allow a low down payment.
Do not include your own unit.
Utilities or maintenance you cover.
Enter a purchase price and term to see results.
Estimate only. Owner-occupied loan terms and local costs vary. Not financial advice.
You buy a small multi-unit or a home with rentable rooms, live in part of it, and rent the rest. Because owner-occupied financing usually allows a much lower down payment than an investment loan, house hacking is a common first step into real estate. The tenants' rent offsets your mortgage, so your out-of-pocket housing cost drops, sometimes to nothing.
Buy a $400,000 triplex with 5% down at 7% over 30 years. With about $5,000 in annual taxes and $1,500 in insurance, your PITI runs roughly $3,070 a month. Add $200 of utilities you cover and your outlay is about $3,270. If the two other units bring in $2,400, your net housing cost is about $870 a month, and the tenants cover roughly 73% of the payment. If renting a comparable place would cost you $1,800, you are saving around $930 every month.
A rental calculator measures investor profit on a property you do not live in. This measures your personal housing cost after tenants, because you occupy one unit. The goal here is a low or negative net cost, not a cash-flow return.
Absolutely. You will be living alongside them, so careful tenant screening matters even more than usual.
Often far less than an investment loan. Depending on the program and your qualification, it can range from a few percent up to the low teens. Use the figure your lender quotes.
Only the recurring monthly costs you actually pay: any utilities, shared maintenance, or HOA you cover. The mortgage, taxes, and insurance are already in the PITI figure.
Ready Utilities was founded by Cedrick Reese, a retired veteran and web developer who enjoys building free, user-friendly online tools that simplify everyday tasks. My journey began in the early 2000s with affiliate marketing and niche site development, which grew into a passion for creating practical digital utilities and calculators. After retiring, I earned a Computer Systems Technician certificate from UEI College, completed Electro-Mechanical Technologies at Tulsa Welding School, and finished the Carpentry program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Today, I combine my technical background and craftsmanship by building furniture using traditional woodworking methods, gardening, and developing helpful online tools for users worldwide.