Free calculator

Rent Affordability Calculator

Find the maximum rent an applicant's income supports — useful for landlords setting screening criteria and renters budgeting for a new place.

Applicant Income

$
$

Screening Standard

x rent

Results

Max qualifying rent
$2,000
Income after other debt
$5,700
Debt-to-income
5.0%
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How This Calculator Works

The rent-to-income ratio is the most common tenant screening standard landlords use — a common baseline requires gross monthly income of about 3x the monthly rent, though some markets and property types use 2.5x or, for higher-cost cities, sometimes higher.

Gross vs. net income matters here — this calculator uses gross (pre-tax) income, which is the standard most landlords and screening services use, since it's verifiable from pay stubs or an offer letter without needing a full tax return.

This is a screening guideline, not a legal requirement — whatever ratio you use, apply it consistently to every applicant to stay compliant with Fair Housing law, since an inconsistently applied standard is exactly what invites a discrimination claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

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