Skip to content
M2TOOLKIT

Popular tools

Menu

Rent Affordability Calculator

See how much rent fits your income — and whether a landlord will approve you.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Nothing is sent or stored
Income is

Car, student loan and credit card minimums.

Result

Comfortable maximum rent
$1,500
Lower of the 30% rule and the debt-adjusted limit
30% rule
$1,500
Rent at most 30% of gross monthly income
40× rule (landlords)
$1,500
Annual income at least 40× the monthly rent
With your debts (36% total)
$1,500
Rent + debts at most 36% of income
Rent of $1,600 is
32% of income
Income needed for it: $5,333/month by the 30% rule, $64,000/year by the 40× rule
Rules of thumb only — your other costs, savings goals and local prices matter too.

The calculation happens instantly in your browser. The numbers you enter are not sent to our servers or saved.

How to use the Rent Affordability Calculator

  1. Enter your gross income per year or per month.
  2. Add your monthly debt payments.
  3. Optionally enter a rent to see the income it requires.

What does this tool do?

The 30% rule keeps rent at or below 30% of gross income. Many US landlords instead require annual income of 40 times the monthly rent. A debt-to-income check keeps rent plus debts under about 36%.

The comfortable maximum shown is the lower of the 30% rule and the debt-adjusted figure.

Why use it?

  • Three common rules.
  • Factors in your debts.
  • Income needed for a given rent.

Accuracy and limits

  • For planning and education — not financial, tax or legal advice.

Privacy

The calculation happens instantly in your browser. The numbers you enter are not sent to our servers or saved. There's no account to create and nothing to install.

Last reviewed by the M2Toolkit team.

Other tools people use alongside the rent affordability calculator.