Rent Affordability Calculator
How much rent you can realistically afford.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Maximum monthly rent
- $1,800.00
- Conservative target (after debts)
- $1,575.00
- Income landlords usually require
- $72,000.00 per year
- Rent-to-income ratio at max
- 30%
- Left for everything else
- $3,750.00
Working
- 1Max rent = ($72,000.00 ÷ 12) × 30% = $1,800.00
Quick answer
The standard guideline caps rent at 30% of gross income, and most landlords want annual income of at least 40× the monthly rent.
Max rent = gross monthly income × 0.30
How to use the Rent Affordability Calculator
- 1Enter your gross annual income before tax.
- 2Add your monthly debt payments.
- 3Adjust the percentage if you want to be stricter.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Gross annual income72000 $
- Monthly debt payments450 $
- Share of income for rent30 %
Results
- Maximum monthly rent$1,800.00
- Conservative target (after debts)$1,575.00
- Income landlords usually require$72,000.00 per year
- Rent-to-income ratio at max30%
- Left for everything else$3,750.00
- Max rent = ($72,000.00 ÷ 12) × 30% = $1,800.00
Frequently asked questions
Is the 30% rule outdated?
In high-cost cities many renters pay 40–50%, but above 30% you're formally 'rent burdened' and saving becomes very hard.
Do landlords use gross or net income?
Almost always gross — typically requiring 40× the monthly rent in annual gross income.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.