Sell or keep your buy-to-let? Calculator
Compare two futures: sell now and invest what's left, or keep the property, collect rent after tax and sell later.
Key facts
- Selling triggers Capital Gains Tax at 18% / 24%, payable within 60 days.
- Keeping means rental profit taxed at 24% / 44% / 49% from April 2027.
- The answer depends most on house price growth, your tax band and what the money would earn elsewhere.
- This is a simplified illustration, not advice.
How the two options are compared
Sell now: sale price, minus selling costs, Capital Gains Tax and the mortgage. The cash left grows at your chosen return.
Keep: each year's rent minus costs, mortgage interest and income tax at 2027/28 rates, added up over the period. Then the property is sold at its grown value, minus costs, CGT and the mortgage.
To keep it simple, the yearly cash isn't reinvested, rents and costs stay flat, and the investment return is before tax. Try a few growth and return figures to see how sensitive the answer is.
What usually decides it
- Growth: each 1% of yearly house price growth adds a lot over 10 years, because it applies to the whole value, not just your equity.
- Tax band: higher-rate landlords keep less rent each year from April 2027.
- Mortgage rate: high interest eats cash flow, but the 24% credit softens it.
- Your time and risk: tenants, repairs and the Renters' Rights Act rules are real costs that this calculator can't price.
Before you decide
Check the CGT in detail with the CGT calculator, read selling a rental property, and speak to an adviser for a decision of this size.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sell my buy-to-let before April 2027?
Selling before April 2027 doesn't change the CGT rate. CGT stays at 18% and 24%. The 2027 change affects the tax on rent you keep collecting, which this calculator includes.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Capital Gains Tax rates and allowances
- GOV.UK: Report and pay Capital Gains Tax on UK property
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and allowances, current and past
- HM Treasury: Budget documents, 28 October 2026
Sources last checked 10 November 2026. See all our sources and how we keep pages up to date.