Rent Affordability Calculator
Find the maximum rent your monthly income can carry under the 30%, 33% or 40% rule — then see what remains after debts and renter insurance each month.
The 30% rule traces back to the 1969 Brooke Amendment, which capped public-housing rent at 25% (later 30%) of income, and HUD still calls households paying more than 30% "cost-burdened". On a gross basis 30% is the classic cap; if you budget from take-home pay, 40% of net is a common ceiling in expensive cities. Lenders usually want total debts under about 36% of income.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your data never leaves your device — it is not uploaded to any server.
How to use
- 1Enter your monthly income and whether it is gross or take-home.
- 2Pick the rent-to-income ratio: 30%, 33% or 40%.
- 3Add other monthly debt payments and renter insurance, if any.
- 4Read the rent ceiling, the leftover budget and your debt-to-income ratio.
Rent Affordability Calculator
Enter your monthly income (gross or take-home), pick a rent-to-income ratio — the classic 30% of gross, a looser 33%, or 40% of net for high-cost cities — and the calculator draws your rent ceiling. Other monthly debt payments and renter insurance are then subtracted so the number you see is actually liveable.
You also get the debt-to-income percentage you would carry at that maximum rent, which is what lenders look at before approving you for a lease or mortgage. The budget line turns negative honestly when rent plus debts exceed your income — a signal to hunt for cheaper rent rather than stretch.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the 30% rule for rent come from?
It traces to the US Brooke Amendment of 1969, which capped public-housing rent at 25% of income and was raised to 30% in 1981. HUD still calls households spending more than 30% of income on housing 'cost-burdened', which is why 30% of gross income stuck as the shorthand for affordable rent.
Should I budget rent from gross or net income?
The classic 30% rule applies to gross income, so it ignores taxes and looks more generous than your payslip. If you prefer to plan from take-home pay, using a higher ratio such as 40% of net lands in roughly the same place. What matters is picking one basis and staying consistent.
What does the debt-to-income percentage mean here?
It is the share of your income consumed by the maximum rent plus your listed debts and insurance. Lenders generally like total DTI below about 36%; above roughly 43% it gets hard to qualify for a mortgage. A high figure means the rent ceiling is too aggressive for your other obligations.
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