Tenant Turnover Cost Calculator

1,200 monthly rent, 4 weeks vacant, 600 agent fee, 400 refresh: 2,108 total turnover cost. Losing a tenant costs 1-2 months' rent on average. Long-term tenants worth small annual rent concessions — turnover more costly than 2-3% rent increase.

Quick example

With monthly rent of 1,200 and vacant weeks of 4 (plus agent fees of 600 and refresh cost of 400), the result is 2,107.78. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.

Which inputs matter most

You enter Monthly Rent, Vacant Weeks, Agent Fees, and Refresh Cost.

What's happening under the hood

Vacancy lost rent + fees + refresh. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.

Where this fits in planning

This is a "what-if" tool, not a forecast. Use it to test ideas before committing: what happens if the rate is 2% lower than hoped, what happens if you add five more years. The value is in the scenarios you run, not the single answer you get from the defaults.

What this doesn't capture

Steady-rate math ignores real-world volatility. Actual returns are lumpy; sequence-of-returns risk matters most in drawdown; fees and taxes drag on compound growth; and behaviour changes in drawdowns can reduce outcomes below the projection. The number represents one scenario rather than a forecast.

Worked example with realistic figures

Suppose a property generates 1,500 per month in rent. A tenant gives notice and moves out. The property sits empty for 6 weeks while the agent screens applicants and references are checked. Agent fees total 750. Carpet cleaning, minor touch-ups, and repainting common areas cost 550. The calculator shows: (6 weeks ÷ 4.33) × 1,500 = 2,078 lost rent, plus 750 in fees, plus 550 in refresh costs = 3,378 total impact. This single turnover event absorbs more than two months of gross rental income.

Common scenarios where this matters

• Testing the impact of a longer vacancy period on your financial outcome
• Comparing the cost of turnover against offering a rent discount to retain an existing tenant
• Planning for cyclical tenant changes and budgeting annual turnover costs across multiple properties
• Evaluating whether investing in property condition improvements reduces vacancy time and overall turnover expense
• Understanding the financial lever of agent fees and how negotiating them affects the total cost

What the result shows

The calculator estimates the combined financial loss from lost rental income during the vacant period, plus the cash outflows for agent commission and property refresh. It illustrates how these three components accumulate into a single figure.

What the result does not show

The calculator does not account for inflation, regional market conditions, tenant quality variation, or longer-term effects of extended vacancies on property condition. It also does not model repeated turnovers over multiple years or factor in maintenance costs that may be deferred or accelerated. The result assumes a linear rent model and does not adjust for seasonal demand patterns or economic cycles that affect both vacancy duration and tenant pool quality.

For illustration only

This calculator is designed for educational exploration of how turnover costs accumulate. The figures it produces are estimates based on the inputs you provide. Use them to compare scenarios and understand relative impact, not as exact predictions of actual financial outcomes.