Pocketify
- Pocketify
- Free tools
- Rent affordability calculator
How much rent can I afford?
Check a rent against your income before you sign, and see what it leaves for everything else.
Short answer: a common rule is to spend no more than 30% of your gross (before-tax) monthly income on rent. Multiply your monthly income by 0.3 to find your maximum rent. Aim lower if you have debt, high transport costs or no savings yet.
The 30% rule and its limits
The 30% line is a quick filter, not a promise that a flat is affordable. It ignores debt payments, childcare and transport, and in expensive cities many people pay more. A second check helps: in the 50/30/20 budget, rent is one of your needs, and all needs together should stay near half of take-home pay.
Before you sign
- Count the move-in costs. Deposit, first month, fees, furniture and moving.
- Ask about utilities. Previous bills for the flat are a good guide.
- Add the commute. A cheaper flat further away can cost more once transport is included.
- Keep a buffer. A rent that leaves nothing for an emergency fund is a rent that will hurt.
Landlords often ask for an income of about three times the rent. The calculator shows that figure for the rent you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How much rent can I afford?
A common rule of thumb is to keep rent at or below 30% of your gross monthly income. Multiply your monthly income before tax by 0.3 to get the maximum. If you have debt or high other costs, aim lower.
Where does the 30% rule come from?
In the United States, housing that costs more than 30% of a household's income is counted as a cost burden by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Landlords and many guides use the same line.
Should I use gross or take-home pay?
The 30% rule uses gross income, before tax. Take-home pay gives a stricter, safer check. This calculator shows the rent as a share of both if you enter take-home pay too.
Does rent include utilities?
The rule is usually about rent alone, but your budget pays for both. Add expected utilities in the other housing costs field to see the full monthly cost.
Related free tools
50/30/20 calculator
Split pay into needs, wants and savings, and compare it with your real spending.
Salary to hourly calculator
Turn a salary into hourly, daily, weekly and monthly pay, and back.
Monthly budget calculator
See what is left after bills and savings, and what that means per day.
Emergency fund calculator
Your safety-net target from essential costs, and how long it takes to build.