How Much Rent Can I Afford?

See how much rent fits your income with the 30% rule, the income check letting agents use, and what it costs to move in.

Household income before tax

A year, for everyone who’ll pay the rent

Loan and card payments

A month: car, student and personal loans, card minimums

Rent you can afford

£875/mo

30% of your income before tax

Comfortable (25%): £729/mo
Stretched (35%): £1,021/mo

Rent£875
Tax and everything else£2,042

What this means

Spending about 30% of your income before tax on rent leaves room for bills, saving and the rest of life. Below 25% is comfortable; above 35%, money gets tight, especially with debts.

Letting agents usually want your yearly income before tax to be at least 30 times the rent: on your income, up to £1,167/mo.

To move in, expect to pay the first month’s rent and a deposit of up to 5 weeks’ rent in England (6 weeks if the rent is £50,000 a year or more): about £1,885 at this rent.

Next step

Rent at different shares of your income

Share of income	Rent
20%	£583/mo
25%	£729/mo
30%	£875/mo
35%	£1,021/mo
40%	£1,167/mo

Moving in

Rent in advance£875
Deposit£1,010
To move in£1,885

Assumptions in this estimate

The 30% guide uses income before tax. If you have high costs such as childcare, aim lower.
Bills, internet, insurance and moving costs come on top of the rent and deposit.

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How the calculator works

Income: your household’s income before tax, for everyone who’ll pay the rent.
Debts: monthly loan and card payments.
Result: rent at 30% of your income, with a comfortable level (25%) and a stretched one (35%). If debts would take you over 40% of your income, the rent is lowered.

Example

On £35,000 a year with no debts:

	A month
Comfortable (25%)	£729
The 30% rule	£875
Stretched (35%)	£1,021
Letting agents’ 30x check	£1,167

With £600 a month of debt payments, the rent you can afford falls to £567.

Before you sign

Budget for the extras: council tax, energy, water and internet usually come on top of rent.
Check what you can claim: if your income is low, Universal Credit can help with rent. See our free money help page.
Saving to buy? A Lifetime ISA adds 25%, and the rent vs buy calculator compares the two.

Last updated October 20, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much rent can I afford on £35,000 a year?

About £875 a month, using the 30% rule: 30% of £2,917 a month before tax. Letting agents’ usual income check would allow up to £1,167 a month, but that leaves less for everything else.

What is the 30x rent rule?

Many letting agents want your yearly income before tax to be at least 30 times the monthly rent. For £1,000 rent, that’s £30,000 a year. If you earn less, they may ask for a guarantor.

How much deposit can a landlord ask for?

In England, a tenancy deposit can be at most 5 weeks’ rent, or 6 weeks if the rent is £50,000 a year or more. A holding deposit can be at most 1 week’s rent. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme.

Should I count my debts?

Yes. Car, loan and card payments come out of the same income. The calculator keeps rent and debt payments together within 40% of your income before tax.