How much rent you can afford

Enter your income, the share you want to spend on housing and your expected utilities. The calculator shows the housing amount and the rent that leaves room for the utilities.

The 30 percent figure

The calculator starts at 30 percent, the line federal housing policy uses. Housing is typically counted as affordable if it costs no more than 30 percent of a household's income. A household whose housing costs, utilities included, come to more than 30 percent of its monthly income is counted as cost burdened. Above 50 percent, it's severely cost burdened.

The share is yours to change, and the figures update as you type.

Why utilities come out of the rent

For renters, housing costs are counted as gross rent, which is the rent itself plus utilities and fuels. The calculator works the same way. It takes the housing amount, subtracts the utilities you'll pay, and shows what's left for the rent. A unit with heat and water included leaves more of the housing amount for rent than one where the tenant pays every bill.

Where to find your numbers

• Income a month, before tax. Take the gross pay on a pay stub and convert it to a month. If your pay varies or comes every other week, add up a year of gross pay and divide by twelve.
• Share for housing. This is the percentage of your income you want to set aside for rent and utilities together. The calculator starts at the 30 percent line.
• Utilities a month. Ask the landlord which utilities the tenant pays, and ask the utility companies for the unit's average monthly bill if they'll share it.

What the figures mean

Housing a month is your income times the share. Rent, after utilities is that housing amount minus the utilities. If utilities are included in the rent, enter zero for them, and the two figures match.

Using the figure while you look

Keep the rent figure next to the rentals you're considering. Note which ones include utilities in the rent and which leave them to the tenant, since the same rent can mean a different total. When it isn't clear, ask the landlord which utilities the tenant pays before you compare it with the others.

Other monthly costs can come with a rental too, such as parking, laundry, internet and a renters insurance policy. If any of them apply, add them to the utilities line, so the rent figure leaves room for everything you'll pay each month.