Rental Property Calculator for
Dallas-Fort Worth.

DFW is a tough rental market in 2025. The price-to-rent ratio is compressed, Texas property tax is brutal, and 2024–2025 interest rates have squeezed cash flow even further. Rentals here still work — but the underwriting has to be honest, not aspirational.

Texas property tax is the dominant cash flow line.On a $300k DFW rental at 2.4% effective rate, property tax is $7,200/year — $600/month — before any other expense. Plug that into the mortgage equation: at 7% interest on a $240k loan (80% LTV), principal and interest is ~$1,597/month. Property tax adds 38% on top of P&I. By comparison, an OKC rental at $150k purchase pays roughly $1,575/yr in tax — $131/month — which is 11% of the P&I on a similar leverage structure. That tax differential is the entire reason DFW rentals struggle to clear cash flow targets that Oklahoma rentals hit comfortably.

Insurance premiums are climbing fast. Texas hail, wind, and tornado claims have re-priced landlord DP-3 policies across DFW. A $300k rental quotes $1,800–$3,000/year for DP-3 with $2,500 deductible. Premiums climbed 15–25% in 2023–2024 and continue rising. Underwrite at the upper end of the range — use a real quote, not a 0.5% rule-of-thumb. The calculator above accepts dollar-figure insurance inputs.

Maintenance and CapEx reserves on Texas housing stock.DFW housing has a mix of 1950s–1970s inner-loop product and 1990s–2010s suburb product. The older inventory has the same mechanical risk as Oklahoma (galvanized plumbing, 60-amp electrical, cast-iron sewer) plus Texas-specific issues — slab foundation movement, expansive clay soil shifts, and HVAC systems that work hard in 100°F summers. Real maintenance reserve is 5–7% of gross rent. Real CapEx reserve is 5–8%. Don't skip them or you build phantom cash flow.

Property tax protest is an operational line item.Texas allows annual property tax protests, and DFW assessments are often 5–15% above true market. A successful protest can cut $300–$1,000/year off your tax bill on a single rental — meaningful when you're running on $100/month cash flow. Most landlords either DIY through the DCAD or TAD online portal or use a service like O'Connor or ProTax (typically 50% of first-year savings). Build this into your annual operations, not as a one-time. The protest doesn't auto-renew — you have to file every year.

DSCR refi math is tight in DFW. Most $300k DFW rentals at $2,200 rent hit DSCR 1.10–1.20, which puts you below the 1.25 minimum on standard 75% LTV DSCR products. The fix is either lower leverage (70% LTV at slightly better DSCR), longer amortization (30-year vs. 25-year, lower payment, higher DSCR), or rent-bumped property (value-add rehab on rent-controlled or undermarket units). Plug your real DSCR into the calculator above before assuming a refi will fund at 75%.

DFW rental underwriting checklist. Property tax pulled from DCAD or TAD assessed value × 2.4% effective rate (use dollar figure, not percentage). Insurance quoted on the actual property at current Texas DP-3 rates. Three live signed-lease comps in the same zip at similar bed/bath. Vacancy at 5–8% based on neighborhood turnover. Maintenance + CapEx at 5%/5% minimum. DSCR stress-tested at actual refi rate plus 50bps. Annual property tax protest built into the operations plan. Hit those and DFW rentals can produce 6–9% cash-on-cash when bought right.