Your lot
Fill in your lot, then click Work out the lot. Only acres, rent and stabilized occupancy are required; the rest default to zero or the neutral choice.
Result
If occupancy runs above or below plan
| Versus plan | Occupancy | NOI per year | Yield on cost | Loan coverage | Cash after loan |
|---|
If rent per space is higher or lower
| Rent change | Rent | NOI per year | Yield on cost | Loan coverage | Cash after loan |
|---|
Year by year over the hold
| Year | NOI | Cash after loan |
|---|
What it does, and what it leaves to you
- Counts: spaces = whole spaces that fit in acres x 43,560 x usable share, divided by square feet per space. Project cost = land + surfaced area x cost per square foot + fencing + permits + other. Rent collected = spaces x occupancy x rent x 12, less bad debt; NOI = rent collected - management and card fees - property tax - insurance - fixed costs - repairs per space.
- Return: yield on cost = stabilized NOI / project cost. Loan = share of cost, level payments over the term. Debt coverage = NOI / yearly payments. Cash after loan = NOI - payments.
- Hold: month by month, occupancy climbs in a straight line from the month-1 figure to the stabilized one over the lease-up months; rent and costs step up each year by the growth you enter. At the end the lot sells for the last year's NOI / the sale cap rate, less selling costs and the loan balance. Equity IRR is the annualized rate that discounts your equity and every month's cash to zero. Payback is the first month cumulative operating cash covers your equity, without the sale.
- Not decided: whether the parcel is zoned for storage and what conditional-use, stormwater, fire-lane and screening rules apply; the time and interest cost of the build itself (operations start in month 1); income tax and depreciation; what spaces rent for near you or how fast they fill; theft, damage and liability claims; and what a lender will actually offer.
Common questions
How much does an RV and boat storage lot make?
It depends on the land price, what the site costs to surface and fence, and what spaces rent for near you. Enter your own figures; the page works out the net operating income, the yield on what you spend, the loan coverage, the cash left after the loan and the return if you sell after a number of years.
How many RV spaces fit on an acre?
An acre is 43,560 square feet. Divide the usable part of it by the footprint of one space plus its share of the drive aisle. A 12 by 40 foot space with room to turn and back in is often several hundred square feet once the aisle is counted, so enter your own layout. Setbacks, drainage and the entrance take land out of use.
What occupancy do I need to break even on a storage lot?
Two figures are shown: the occupancy that covers operating costs (tax, insurance, upkeep, fees) and the higher one that also covers the loan payment. Both are exact for your inputs and ignore the lease-up period, which is modelled separately.
What is yield on cost and why does it matter?
Yield on cost is stabilized net operating income divided by everything you spent to build the lot. It is the number to compare with the cap rate buyers pay for finished lots: the wider the gap, the more value you create by building, and the more you stand to lose if the lot fills slowly.
Does this tell me if I can build one?
No. Zoning, conditional-use permits, stormwater, fire-lane and screening rules decide whether a storage lot is allowed on a parcel at all, and they vary by city and county. Check them before you buy land.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent; a test in the code asserts there are no network calls.