A free rent affordability calculator with the 30% rule, the landlords' 40x test and your other debts.
See how much rent you can afford by the 30% rule, the landlords' 40x test and your other debts.
Your numbers
Use your gross income, before tax. Landlords usually look at gross income too.
Your result
Fill in the fields above to see your result.
Embed this tool on your site
Paste the code into any page: WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, Ghost or plain HTML. It's free with the credit under it, which links back to navid.me.
This free rent affordability calculator shows how much rent you can afford by the 30% rule, by landlords' "40 times the rent" income test, and after your other debts.
It's the same page as "how much rent can I afford", since Google treats them as 1 search.
I built it because every rule of thumb gives a different answer, and landlords use a different one again. Seeing them side by side shows the range that's safe for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
What is a rent affordability calculator?
A rent affordability calculator turns your income into the most rent you can comfortably pay. It applies the rules renters and landlords use, so you know your range before you start looking.
How to use the rent affordability calculator
You need your yearly income and any other debt payments.
Your numbers stay in your browser.
A worked example
Here's the example the calculator loads when you press Try an example: a $60,000 income.
| Rule | Rent a month |
|---|---|
| 25% of income | $1,250 |
| 30% of income | $1,500 |
| 35% of income | $1,750 |
| Landlords' 40x test | $1,500 |
With $500 a month of car or student loan payments, the 36% limit on all debts leaves $1,300 for rent.
Which rule to use
Each rule answers a slightly different question.
The 30% rule
It's the standard, and HUD's line for being cost-burdened. Use it as your ceiling.
The 40x test
It's the landlord's question: will you pass their check? On $60,000, rent up to $1,500 passes.
Your other debts
Loans and card payments come out of the same income. The more you owe, the less rent fits.
Mistakes to avoid
These are the ways rent eats a budget.
- Using take-home pay with rules built on gross pay
- Forgetting utilities, parking and renter's insurance
- Signing for the most a landlord approves
- Leaving nothing to save for a down payment
Saving to buy instead? The down payment calculator shows how long it takes.
Who is the rent affordability calculator for?
It's for anyone apartment hunting or moving cities, and these tools help around it.
- Home affordability calculator – for buying instead
- Down payment calculator – for saving to buy
- Hourly to salary calculator – for turning an hourly wage into a yearly income
- Currency converter – for rent in another country
- Net worth tracker – for what you save each month
Start your search at the 30% figure, and you'll have room to breathe.
Plan your money with your AI
Take your numbers further in
Rent Affordability Calculator FAQs
Questions about the rent affordability calculator? Here's what to know.
A rent affordability calculator works out the most rent you can afford from your income.
This free one shows the 30% rule, landlords' 40x test and your limit after other debts.
About $1,500 a month by the 30% rule and the 40x test.
With other debts it's less.
Keep rent under 30% of your gross income.
HUD counts households paying more as cost-burdened.
Many landlords want a yearly income of 40 times the monthly rent.
For $1,500 rent, that's $60,000 a year.
Gross income, before tax, since that's what these rules use.
Check the result against your take-home pay too.
HUD counts utilities in housing costs.
Leave room for them if rent doesn't include them.
In expensive cities, many people pay more.
Keep it under 35% if you can, and cut elsewhere.
I did.
I'm Navid Moazzez, and I made the rent affordability calculator as one of my free tools on navid.me.
More about me.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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