Investor Tools
Vacation Rental Calculator
Model the full return on an Orlando short-term rental — cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, and NOI. Built specifically for the Orlando market with county tax presets (Polk 12%, Orange 12.5%, Osceola 13.5%), management fees, HOA/CDD dues, and optional DSCR financing.
Property
Revenue Assumptions
Operating Costs
Cap Rate
4.9%
$22,178 NOI on $455,000 all-in
Annual Pro Forma
Cap Rate
4.9%
Total Invested
$455,000
Gross Revenue
$56,502
RevPAR (per night)
$155
Estimates only — for informational and educational use. Not investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Outputs depend entirely on the inputs you provide and are not a guarantee of future performance. STR income is variable and seasonal. Verify any deal with your CPA, attorney, lender, and a property manager familiar with the specific community. See our Terms of Service.
How to Use This Calculator
Vacation rental returns are driven by four levers: nightly rate, occupancy, operating costs, and financing. This calculator lets you adjust each and see the impact on cap rate and cash-on-cash instantly. Toggle financing on to see your DSCR — the metric STR lenders use to approve loans.
Gross Revenue = Nightly Rate × 365 × OccupancyNOI = Gross Revenue − Taxes − Management − HOA − OpExCap Rate = NOI ÷ (Purchase + Furnishing)Cash-on-Cash = Annual Cash Flow ÷ Cash InvestedThe Levers That Matter Most
Occupancy Is the Swing Factor
The difference between 70% and 82% occupancy on a $215/night property is roughly $9,400 in additional gross revenue — often the difference between a 5% and 7%+ cap rate. Always underwrite conservatively, then treat upside as a bonus.
Self-Management Adds 2–3% to Returns
Setting management to 0% (self-managed) directly adds the fee back to NOI. On a $60K gross property, a 25% fee is $15,000 — a massive swing. But self-management requires time and local responsiveness. Some communities (Reunion) require a preferred manager.
County Choice Affects Net Yield
Polk County (12%) vs. Osceola County (13.5%) is a 1.5% tax difference. On $70K gross, that's ~$1,050/year. Combined with cheaper Polk licensing, the Davenport corridor keeps more of every booking dollar.
HOA + CDD Can Make or Break a Deal
Premium resort communities have HOA + CDD dues of $4,000–8,000+/year. These come straight off NOI. A community with $6,600 in dues needs materially higher nightly rates to match a lower-cost community's returns.
Before You Buy: Verify STR Legality
This calculator models returns — but returns are worthless if the property can't legally operate as an STR. Orlando STR rules vary by county, parcel zoning, and HOA. Always verify before you make an offer.
Found a Number That Works?
We'll find real STR-compliant properties matching your target returns, verify the zoning and HOA rules, and connect you with proven management companies.
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