Tool T–02 / Available
Rental yield, without the headline illusion.
Move from quoted rent to a fuller view of vacancy, operating costs, debt service, and cash returns.
Assumption set
Acquisition & income
All-in cost
KES 12.60m
Annual NOI
KES 831,600
Monthly debt service
KES 95,885
Target value
KES 11.88m
Model checks
- — Net operating income does not cover annual debt service.
- — Break-even occupancy above 90% leaves limited operating resilience.
Base-case output
Income view
Gross yield
9.52%
Net yield
6.60%
Annual cash flow after debt
KES -319,025
Cash-on-cash
-5.91%
DSCR
0.72x
Break-even occupancy
123.3%
Income waterfall
Sensitivity matrix
Rent × vacancy.
Each cell shows net yield on the all-in acquisition cost. The center cell is the current case.
| Vacancy / Rent | -10% | -5% | 0% | +5% | +10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -4 pts | 6.12% | 6.54% | 6.96% | 7.38% | 7.80% |
| -2 pts | 5.95% | 6.37% | 6.78% | 7.19% | 7.60% |
| 0 pts | 5.79% | 6.20% | 6.60% | 7.00% | 7.41% |
| +2 pts | 5.63% | 6.03% | 6.42% | 6.82% | 7.21% |
| +4 pts | 5.47% | 5.85% | 6.24% | 6.63% | 7.02% |
Method note
Net operating income deducts vacancy, management, service and maintenance costs, rates and insurance, and a capital reserve. Net yield is measured against purchase price plus acquisition costs.
Debt service assumes a fully amortizing loan with equal monthly payments. The model excludes income tax, appreciation, disposal costs, refinancing, rent escalation, tenant improvements, and irregular major capital expenditure.
Questions / Method
How to read a rental yield result.
What is the difference between gross and net rental yield?
Gross yield compares annual rent with the property price. Net yield also deducts vacancy and recurring operating costs, then compares the resulting net operating income with the total acquisition basis.
What costs should a rental yield calculation include?
A fuller calculation should test vacancy, management, service and maintenance costs, rates, insurance, capital reserves, acquisition costs, and debt service where borrowing is used.
Is rental yield enough to judge an investment?
No. Yield is one signal. Investors should also test cash flow resilience, financing risk, tenant demand, capital expenditure, taxes, exit liquidity, and the quality of the underlying asset and location.