Your numbers
The comparison
| Monthly rent | $0 |
| Vacancy allowance | −$0 |
| Maintenance reserve | −$0 |
| Management fee | −$0 |
| Other monthly costs | −$0 |
| Mortgage payment (PITI) | −$0 |
| Monthly cash flow | $0 |
How to read the result
The sell figure is your price minus typical selling costs and your payoff, in line with our cost to sell guide. The rent figure is your expected rent minus the costs landlords actually carry: an allowance for vacant weeks, a maintenance reserve, management if you hire it, and your remaining mortgage payment. A rental that clears a few hundred dollars a month while a tenant pays down your loan can be a strong hold. A rental that runs negative every month is a decision about whether the long-term equity is worth the monthly cost.
There is also a tax angle worth knowing before you decide: live-in owners can often exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 married) of gain when they sell, and that exclusion can expire after the home has been a rental for a few years. Our guides on capital gains when selling and sell vs. rent in Vancouver cover this in plain English, and our selling with tenants guide covers the exit if you rent first and sell later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sell my house or rent it out?
It depends on your equity, the rent your home can earn, and whether you want to be a landlord. Selling turns equity into cash you can use now. Renting keeps the asset and produces monthly income, but only after vacancy, maintenance, management, and your remaining mortgage payment. This calculator puts both numbers side by side so you can compare them honestly.
Why does the rental estimate subtract vacancy and maintenance?
Because real rentals are never rented 100% of the time and never maintenance-free. A vacancy allowance around 5% and a maintenance reserve around 10% of rent are common planning assumptions. Skipping them makes renting look better than it performs in practice. Both fields are editable, so you can use your own assumptions.
What does professional property management cost in Vancouver WA?
Full-service management in the Vancouver area typically charges a percentage of collected rent, often in the 8% to 10% range, plus a leasing or placement fee when a new tenant is placed. Our sister company, Vancouver Property Management Group, manages single-family rentals across Clark County, and the calculator's default reflects a typical percentage-of-rent fee.