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Rent-to-Own Calculator: Upfront Cost vs a Mortgage

This rent-to-own calculator compares the cash you need to move into a home under Rent-to-Own with the upfront cost of buying with a mortgage. Put in a home price, deposit and state to see both totals side by side.

Before you move in

Rent-to-Own upfront cost savings
8.5x cheaper
Rent to Own
$4,711
  • Upfront deposit$0
  • Signing fee (at your Form 6)$358
  • First 12 weeks of our fee, less that$658
  • Legal advice$1,100
  • Rental bond (4 weeks’ rent)$2,596
  • Stamp dutyLater, at buyout
Mortgage
$40,100
  • Deposit (5%)$37,500
  • Stamp duty (QLD, FHB)$0
  • LMI$0 — scheme
  • Conveyancing$2,000
  • Building & pest$600

Plus the first two weeks of payments — about $1,947. Two weeks of rent and deposit contributions are payable upfront before you move in, the same as a standard tenancy. It is not included in the Rent-to-Own total above.

Assumptions

Mortgage side: deposit at the chosen percentage, transfer (stamp) duty at owner-occupier rates with any first-home concession you tick, Lenders Mortgage Insurance on the 5% + LMI and 10% paths (indicative premium), plus $2,000 conveyancing and $600 building and pest inspections. The 5% (no LMI) path assumes a place under the First Home Guarantee, which removes LMI but not the other costs — property price caps apply. Choosing it ticks the first-home toggle automatically, since the scheme is for first home buyers; untick it if you're using the scheme as a returning buyer (no ownership in the past 10 years), because duty concessions require never having owned a home. Rent-to-Own side, per PublicSquare's published pricing: signing fee $357.50 (credited against your first 12 weekly instalments), the first 12 weekly instalments of the buyer's agent fee less that credit (Standard package), independent legal advice $1,100 and a rental bond of four weeks' rent. The first two weeks of rent and deposit contributions are also payable before you move in; they are shown separately and are not part of the Rent-to-Own total or the cheaper-upfront multiple. Indicative rent is 4.5% of the home value a year, with an extra 50% on top of it, which becomes your deposit. Stamp duty on a Rent-to-Own home is payable when you buy, years later, and first-home concessions may apply then. Moving costs apply on either path and are excluded.

General information only — not financial, credit, legal, or tax advice. Results are estimates based on the stated assumptions and your inputs; obtain independent professional advice before making any decision. When you buy your Rent-to-Own home, the deposit, stamp duty, LMI and other standard purchasing costs become payable where applicable — these costs are deferred, not waived. Cheaper-upfront multiples compare total day-one cash for a mortgage purchase (deposit, stamp duty, any LMI, conveyancing and inspections) with Rent-to-Own starting costs. Averaged across home prices of $500,000–$1,000,000, deposit paths from 5% (no-LMI scheme) to 20%, and new and established homes at Queensland owner-occupier duty rates with no first-home concessions, Rent-to-Own is on average ~24x cheaper upfront.

Jarrod Wills

Written by

Jarrod Wills

Buyer's Agent

Dean Arnold

Reviewed by

Dean Arnold

Founder & CEO

Published 25 September 2026Updated 21 October 2026 2 min read

How much cheaper rent-to-own is upfront

On a $750,000 new home in Queensland, a first home buyer using the 5% no-LMI scheme needs about $40,100 on day one with a mortgage, against no deposit, stamp duty or LMI to start with rent-to-own homes. That gap is money you don't need now, not money you never pay.

The headline figure is the gap between the two totals. Stamp duty and a deposit are still ahead of you under rent-to-buy, paid when you buy in years four to eight, so this is money you don't need to have now. Choose "5% + LMI" to see a 5% mortgage without the government scheme: the deposit stays small, but lenders mortgage insurance appears.

What the rent-to-own calculator assumes

  • Stamp duty is calculated at each state's owner-occupier rates, with first-home buyer concessions applied when you tick that option.
  • Lenders mortgage insurance is estimated at 4.2% of the loan on a 5% deposit, 1.9% on 10%, 0.9% on 15% and nil at 20%. Real premiums vary by lender.
  • Mortgage route: $2,000 conveyancing and $600 building and pest.
  • Rent-to-Own route: $1,100 independent legal advice with our pre-arranged referral, the rental bond, and the first 12 weeks of PublicSquare's buyer's agency fee (Standard or Plus), with the $357.50 signing fee ($325 + GST) credited against them.
  • PublicSquare's fee scales with an initial home value from $500,000 to $1,000,000, and is capped at the $1,000,000 rate.

Frequently asked questions

It adds up the day-one cash a mortgage purchase needs — deposit, stamp duty, any LMI, conveyancing and inspections — and puts it next to the starting costs of Rent-to-Own on the same home, using the assumptions listed on this page.

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Written by

Jarrod Wills
Jarrod Wills

Buyer's Agent

Licensed agent · Former mortgage broker

Over 10 years’ experience as a mortgage broker and real estate agent, now a licensed buyer’s agent with PublicSquare since 2021. He has worked on 100+ property transactions and knows the Queensland and New South Wales markets and the Rent-to-Own model well.

Reviewed by

Dean Arnold
Dean Arnold

Founder & CEO

Licensed real estate agent

I started PublicSquare in 2021 to give homebuyers a real path to ownership without a deposit, and landlords a stronger-cashflow alternative to a standard rental. I hold real estate licences in Queensland and New South Wales and personally review every property that enters the program.

How this calculator was made

Written by Jarrod Wills (Buyer's Agent) and reviewed for accuracy by Dean Arnold (Founder & CEO) before publishing. Program terms are quoted from PublicSquare's own Contract and Appointment documents. We check it again whenever the numbers change; it was last updated 21 October 2026.

For more information, visit our Editorial Guidelines.

Read more about Rent-to-Own.

This calculator is general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. PublicSquare is a licensed real estate agency, not a financial adviser or credit provider. Consider seeking independent advice before making a decision.

Reviews

Scott & Natasha
Moreton Bay, QLD
Website

For us, the two biggest challenges were saving the deposit and getting the bank's approval. With PublicSquare, both those problems were solved. The weekly payment is fair and the contract is fair. It's a win-win situation for both the homebuyer and the investor.

Jude H.
Brisbane, QLD
Channel 7

Not only do I recommend PublicSquare, I believe that they have a model, style, process and organisational focal point that is best in market. The fact that the price is locked in at a predetermined annual increase, that is more than reasonable, is exactly what helps me sleep at night.

Blaine & Juliet
Fairfield, NSW
Website

I believe that this is the most affordable way for families - especially Young families like my own to buy and own their dream family homes a lot sooner. It’s very flexible and easy to follow along. Eliminating the anxiety and stress of having to search again & again for another family home once the lease is up. This not only gives the children the opportunity to grow and be comfortable in the surroundings and in their community but also helps save money from all the moving expenses.

Felicia & Simon
Gold Coast, QLD
Website

Makes buying a home a whole lot easier for people that in different situations who can’t purchase right away.

Dominic & Mabel
Gold Coast, QLD
Website

A very viable well thought out solution to offer another option to get into homeownership, especially with the current market and interest rates, it makes the whole process a lot simpler

Leah & Angela
Redland, QLD
Website

Thinking outside the box and serving the community in a very valuable way...

Monueque & Kyle
Gold Coast, QLD
Website

Amazing idea for people who can't afford a massive deposit but are able to pay weekly rent.

Karlee & Cody
Blacktown, NSW
Website

Revolutionary! In this day and age where you can rent without missing a payment but banks deny you for a mortgage...

Fatima & Serge
Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW
Website

Awesome opportunity for young couples and families to get on the property ladder.

Daniella & Dre
Whittlesea, VIC
Website

Love it, I wish more companies did this especially with our cost of living crisis.

Rebekah & Ashur
Knox, VIC
Website

I love the idea of owning a home by slowly paying it off while renting.

Katie J.
Moreton Bay, QLD
Website

Amazing and will give more people the opportunity to own their own homes.

Paul V.
Sunshine Coast, QLD
Website

Brilliant… especially in these times of crazy rents and housing prices.

Chloe H.
Greater Shepparton, VIC
Website

A great incentive making home ownership possible for future generations.

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