Rent Affordability Calculator

Renting is tested differently from buying: a landlord usually wants gross income of about three times the rent and ignores your other debts, while the 30 percent threshold is about housing cost burden rather than approval. Enter your gross monthly income, any utilities not included in the rent and your other debt payments, and this returns the rent each of those two ceilings allows, which one binds and what is left over afterwards. A second calculation takes a rent you have found and reports the share of income it takes and whether it passes the usual screening rule. Deposits, first month up front and broker fees are not counted.

Calculator Type

Gross Monthly Income ($) *

Before tax, for everybody who will be on the lease.

Other Monthly Debt Payments ($)

Card minimums, car and student loan payments. A landlord usually ignores these; your budget cannot.

Monthly Utilities and Renters Insurance ($)

Anything not included in the rent. The 30 percent threshold counts these as housing cost.

Share of Gross Income for Housing

Income Multiple the Landlord Wants

Gross monthly income divided by this is the highest rent they will approve.

Monthly Take-Home Pay ($)

Optional. Gives the same share measured against what actually reaches your account.

Widget