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DealCalc calculator guide

Cash Flow Calculator

Cash flow is not rent. DealCalc treats cash flow as the money left after vacancy, operating expenses, and debt service.

Primary outputMonthly Cash Flow
Primary outputCash Flow

Calculator

Start with income, then subtract the real operating drag.

This guide explains the cash flow workflow. In the app, Cash Flow is tied to full rental, BRRRR, Subject-To, multifamily, and portfolio analysis.

Example inputs

  • Gross Monthly Income$2,750
  • Vacancy Rate5%
  • Operating Expenses$840/mo
  • Annual Debt Service$15,600
  • Cash Required$72,500
  • Management Fee8%

In-app workflow

  • Pick the calculator in Analyze.
  • Enter assumptions and review Deal Score.
  • Save the deal when the numbers deserve a second look.
  • Upgrade for AI Insights, Project Tracker, portfolio, and investor-ready reports.

Results

Read the result like an investor, not a spreadsheet.

Monthly Cash Flow$485/mo
Cash Flow$5,820/yr
NOI$21,420
Annual Debt Service$15,600
Cash Required$72,500
Cash-on-Cash Return8.0%
DSCR1.37
Deal Score7.2 / 10

Metric explanations

DealCalc metric names used on this page

  • Monthly Cash FlowMonthly income left after operating expenses and debt service.
  • Cash FlowAnnual version of monthly cash flow, useful for Cash-on-Cash Return and portfolio reporting.
  • NOIIncome after operating expenses but before debt service.
  • Annual Debt ServiceTotal yearly loan payments used to calculate DSCR and final cash flow.
  • Cash RequiredTotal cash needed to close and stabilize the deal.
  • Cash-on-Cash ReturnCash Flow divided by Cash Required.
  • DSCRNOI divided by Annual Debt Service.

AI Insights

Use the guide to learn. Use the app to decide faster.

Thin spread warning

DealCalc AI Insights flags when Monthly Cash Flow is technically positive but too thin for vacancy, repairs, or rate risk.

Debt pressure

The app keeps DSCR beside cash flow so a property is not judged on monthly spread alone.

Portfolio context

DealCalc Pro rolls cash flow into saved deals and portfolio views so you can see which assets actually help the month.

Step-by-step guide

How to use this calculator workflow

  1. 01

    Enter scheduled rent and other income.

  2. 02

    Subtract vacancy, management, repairs, taxes, insurance, HOA, utilities, and other recurring expenses.

  3. 03

    Subtract debt service to get Monthly Cash Flow and annual Cash Flow.

  4. 04

    Compare Cash Flow to Cash Required to estimate Cash-on-Cash Return.

  5. 05

    Use DSCR and Deal Score to decide whether the cash flow is durable.

Common mistakes

Where investors usually distort the answer

  • Calling gross rent cash flow.
  • Ignoring non-monthly expenses like taxes, insurance, and repairs.
  • Looking at positive Monthly Cash Flow without DSCR.
  • Forgetting Cash Required when comparing two deals.

FAQs

What does a cash flow calculator show?

It shows Monthly Cash Flow and annual Cash Flow after income, vacancy, operating expenses, and debt service. DealCalc also connects it to NOI, DSCR, and Cash Required.

Is Monthly Cash Flow the same as NOI?

No. NOI is before debt service. Monthly Cash Flow is after debt service.

Which DealCalc calculators use Cash Flow?

Rental, BRRRR, Subject-To, Multifamily 5+, Short-Term Rental, and portfolio reports all rely on cash flow.

Run it in DealCalc

Run cash flow inside the full DealCalc analysis.

This page is built to teach the workflow and drive search traffic. The full DealCalc experience adds saved deals, AI Insights, Project Tracker, portfolio dashboards, and investor-ready reports.

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