What is Rent to Income Ratio and How to Calculate It for Future Tenants

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - Dec. 25, 2020 - PRLog -- A rent to income ratio determines the monthly or annual gross income a tenant must earn to be able to afford rent each month. This ratio is a useful and simple tool that helps tenants as well as landlords enter into a smooth rental agreement.

Calculating Rent to Income Ratio

Here are two commonly used ways to calculate this ratio:

Calculate net income against a fixed rent percentage

This will help you determine the maximum amount you can afford to pay in rent each month. The industry standard is 30% of your income. In other words, no more than 30% of your annual income should go toward housing costs.

Its mathematical representation looks like this:

(Net earnings per year / 12) X 0.3 = Maximum monthly rental income

For example, suppose an applicant earns $150,000 per year. The income to rent ratio will be:

(150,000/12) X 0.3 = $3,750

Now, if the rental site asks for $4,000 per month, the applicant would fail to meet this condition. This is because their maximum monthly rental income does not reach the required limit. Therefore, the landlord might not find the candidate eligible for renting.

Use a ratio multiplier

Another method to calculate the rent to income ratio is to multiply the monthly rent value with a ratio multiplier. In this method, the standard multiplier is 3. This means that the applicant should make at least three times their gross monthly income to cover rental expenses. The math would look like this:

Monthly Rent X 3 = Minimum monthly rental income

Let's consider an example to better understand. Suppose you are interested in renting an apartment that asks for $3,000 per month. Three times this rent amount becomes $9,000. This means you must gross a minimum of $9,000 per month in income to be eligible for consideration.

Winston Rowe and Associates prepared this article they are a national consulting firm. You can contact them at https://www.winstonrowe.com