Estimate how much rent fits your income. A common guideline is to keep housing costs around 30% of gross income; HUD uses 30% as its benchmark for housing cost burden. Adjust the percentage to match your own budget.
Suggested maximum rent$0
| Gross monthly income | |
| Housing budget (rent + utilities) | |
| Rent + utilities + debt as % of income | |
| Income needed if a landlord asks for 3x rent |
Estimates for illustration only. Landlords set their own income requirements; some use a multiple of rent (such as 2.5x or 3x), and requirements vary. See HUD’s discussion of rent burden.
How it works
Your gross annual income is divided by 12, multiplied by the share you choose, and your utilities estimate is subtracted to suggest a rent ceiling. The debt line shows your total housing plus debt payments as a share of income so you can see the whole picture.
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