When you are buying to let, you'll want to know the rental yield - ie. the return on your investment - the percentage return on the money spent.
So if you bought for $1 million, and earned a rent of $1,500 per month, your gross rental yield would be $1,500 x 12 / $1 million = 3.6%. Not a great yield; we would judge it to be poor.
Rental Yields Compared
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What assumptions are made in presenting the Guide's rental yields?
We are interested in the sort of properties which will be attractive to foreign renters. This is not always the same type of property in all locations.
In European cities, we lean towards properties in historic city centres, therefore our 'typical' property is more likely to be a 90-year old refurbished apartment of character, than a newly built apartment.
Foreign renters are usually interested in properties which are in excellent condition, with good facilities, and which have been refurbished or redecorated within the last five years. Our properties are therefore relatively expensive, though less expensive than the very newest properties, except where new-builds dominate the market.
Our typical case is a 120 sq. m. apartment, but not always. Place your cursor over the yield number to see exact dimensions.