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Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter net income and the costs that do not move with rent. The calculator returns a rent ceiling, the all-in housing cost and the monthly surplus.
Landlords often screen on gross income at three times the rent, which is a different test from what your net budget can carry. Run both.
Two different tests
A landlord usually asks whether gross income is about three times the rent. Your budget asks whether net income covers rent, utilities, fixed costs and savings without going negative. Passing the landlord's test does not mean the rent is comfortable, and passing your own test does not mean the landlord will accept the file.
Run both numbers. If the landlord's ceiling is higher than your budget ceiling, the binding constraint is your cash flow, not the application.
Fixed costs dominate the answer
Two people with the same rent can have very different budgets once transport, insurance, phone, subscriptions and debt payments are counted. That is why the calculator takes fixed costs separately instead of applying a single percentage to income.
Keep the savings line even in a tight month. A budget that only works when nothing goes wrong is not a budget; it is a forecast of the month something does.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use gross or net income?
Use net income for your own budget. Use gross income only when checking the landlord's multiple, because that is the figure the application usually asks for.
What rent share should I start with?
Thirty percent of net income is a common starting point. Raise it only if fixed costs are low and savings are already funded; lower it if income is variable.
Are utilities part of the rent share?
No. The calculator adds utilities on top of the rent ceiling, because they are a housing cost but not rent.
What if the result is negative?
The rent at that share does not fit the rest of the budget. Lower the share, cut fixed costs, or treat the gap as a temporary draw on savings with a defined end date.