3× Rent Rule Calculator — Rent Affordability
The 3× rent rule says your gross annual income should be at least three times your annual rent (equivalently, monthly rent ≤ one-third of gross monthly income). Use this calculator to find your maximum affordable rent, check if you qualify for a given apartment, or find the income you need.
What do you want to find?
$/year
Rent at exactly one-third of your gross monthly income
- 1
Gross monthly income
60,000 ÷ 12 = 5,000 - 2
Maximum monthly rent (÷ 3)
5,000 ÷ 3 = 1,667Rent should not exceed one-third of gross monthly income under the 3× rule.
How does this calculator work?
Max monthly rent = annual income ÷ 36 (the 3× rule). Rent should not exceed ~33% of your gross monthly income. Enter your income to find the maximum rent you qualify for, enter a rent to find the required income, or check your rent-to-income ratio against the 33% threshold landlords typically use.
Formula
How this is calculated
The "3× rent rule" (also called the 40× rule in New York, using the same ratio) is a common landlord screening heuristic: a tenant's gross annual income must be at least 36 times the monthly rent (annual income ÷ 36 = max monthly rent). This ensures rent does not exceed roughly 33% of gross monthly income, which is the upper bound of the conventional 30% housing-budget guideline.
Landlords and property managers use this as a quick qualification filter — if your income passes, they proceed to credit and background checks. It does not guarantee you can afford the apartment, because it uses gross (pre-tax) income and ignores your existing debt, other fixed expenses, or local tax rates. In high-cost cities your effective take-home may be 50–60% of gross after taxes and deductions, making 33% of gross substantially more than 33% of take-home.
Use this calculator to check any of the three directions: find the maximum rent you qualify for at a given income, check whether your income clears the bar for a specific apartment, or find the income level a landlord will require for a given rent. All figures are estimates — actual landlord requirements vary and some use a 40× or 50× multiplier rather than 36×.
Frequently asked questions
The 3× rent rule requires that your gross annual income is at least 3 times your annual rent, or equivalently at least 36 times your monthly rent. It means rent should be no more than about 33% of your gross monthly income. Many landlords use this as the minimum income threshold for tenant qualification.
Landlords almost always use gross (pre-tax) income, because it is easily verified from pay stubs or tax returns. However, you should also check affordability against your net take-home pay — depending on your tax bracket and deductions, gross income can be 25–45% higher than what you actually receive.
Guarantors and co-signers can pool income to meet the 3× threshold. Add all household earners' gross incomes and enter the combined total. Some landlords also accept guarantors who separately meet a higher bar (e.g. 80× or 5× the monthly rent on their own).
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). 3× Rent Rule Calculator — Rent Affordability [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/3x-rent-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "3× Rent Rule Calculator — Rent Affordability." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/3x-rent-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "3× Rent Rule Calculator — Rent Affordability," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/3x-rent-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_3x_rent_calculator, title = {3× Rent Rule Calculator — Rent Affordability}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/3x-rent-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
Did this calculator help you?