Rent Calculator (UK, 2026)

How much rent can you actually afford — and what will letting-agent referencing approve? UK referencing uses a 30× rule: your gross annual income must be at least 30 times the monthly rent. Enter your income to see your ceiling, sensible budget bands, and your deposit caps.

What referencing will approve

Max rent (30× referencing rule)

£1,067/mo

The ceiling most letting agents will pass you at.

Deposit cap (5 weeks)

£1,231

Tenant Fees Act cap at your max rent · holding deposit £246

Guarantor needs (36×)

£38,400

Income a guarantor must show at your max rent.

Budget guideline bands

25% of gross monthly pay

£667/mo

Comfortable — leaves the most headroom for bills, savings and travel.

30% of gross monthly pay

£800/mo

Typical — the widely-used affordability guideline for renters.

35% of gross monthly pay

£933/mo

Stretched — common in London; expect less slack for other costs.

How UK rent referencing really works

The 30× income rule

Referencing agencies (HomeLet, Goodlord, Rent4sure and others) pass a tenant when gross annual income is at least 30× the monthly rent. It is the renting equivalent of a mortgage lender's loan-to-income cap. Joint tenants can usually combine incomes, and regular bonuses or verified self-employed income generally count.

If you fall short

Guarantor: most agents accept a UK-based guarantor earning around 36× the monthly rent.
Rent in advance: offering 6–12 months upfront often bypasses the income check.
Joint application: adding a working co-tenant raises the combined income that referencing uses.

Deposit rules (England)

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps the tenancy deposit at 5 weeks' rent when the annual rent is under £50,000 (6 weeks above), and a holding deposit at 1 week's rent. The deposit must go into a government-approved protection scheme within 30 days. Scotland and Wales have their own schemes and caps.

Renting vs buying

If your rent budget is close to a mortgage payment, compare the full picture — at today's rates a £1,067/month budget services roughly a £197,395 repayment mortgage over 25 years before deposit. Run the numbers in the buy vs rent calculator.

Related tools

This is an indicative tool. Referencing criteria vary by agency and landlord — some apply the 30× rule per tenant, some adjust for existing debts or use net income. Deposit caps apply to assured shorthold tenancies in England under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.