Guide
The Best Free Rental Property Spreadsheet (2026)
A good rental property spreadsheet is a deal-analysis tool, not a rent ledger. It should tell you, before you make an offer, whether the numbers work. Here is what separates a real analyzer from a blank table in 2026.
What it must calculate
- True cash flow - rent minus every expense, including vacancy, maintenance, capital expenditure and management reserves.
- Cap rate - to compare properties regardless of how you finance them.
- Cash-on-cash return - your real return on the cash you actually invest.
- DSCR - whether the property covers its own loan (lenders want above 1.2).
- An amortization view - how the loan and your equity change over time.
What to avoid
- Sheets that subtract only the mortgage and call the rest 'cash flow' - they overstate every deal.
- No reserves for vacancy or capex, the costs that sink real returns.
- Locked freebies you cannot adapt to your market's numbers.
Underwrite in minutes
The Plannful Rental Property Analyzer runs cash flow, cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR and amortization from your inputs in Excel or Google Sheets - so you can compare deals on equal footing and offer with confidence.
See the Rental Property Analyzer →
Building a portfolio? The Multi-Property Dashboard tracks up to 12 properties at once.
Frequently asked questions
What should a rental property spreadsheet calculate?
It should calculate true cash flow (rent minus all expenses and reserves), cap rate, cash-on-cash return, DSCR and an amortization schedule. Together these tell you whether a deal works before you offer, rather than just tracking rent after you buy.
What is the difference between a rent tracker and a deal analyzer?
A rent tracker records income and expenses after you own a property. A deal analyzer projects the numbers before you buy - cash flow, returns and loan coverage - so you can compare properties and avoid bad deals. The best tools do both.
What expenses do people forget in rental analysis?
The most commonly missed costs are vacancy, repairs and maintenance, capital expenditure (roofs, HVAC) and property management. Leaving them out makes a marginal deal look profitable, which is the most expensive mistake in rental investing.
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