Can I afford it?
The 40× rule, guarantor math, and what “cost-burdened” means for your budget.
This is a planning estimate, not a preapproval or a guarantee that any landlord will accept you. All figures update instantly as you type and no data is saved or sent anywhere.
Your numbers
Loan, credit card, or other recurring monthly debt obligations.
Conservative suggested rent range
Enter your income to see a suggested range.
25–30% of your gross monthly income ($0), minus your monthly debt payments. This is a common personal-finance guideline, not a rule specific to any landlord.
Common NYC qualification range
Enter your income to see a qualification range.
Based on annual income of at least 40x the monthly rent, applied to your income net of monthly debt (low end) and to your gross income (high end).
This is a market convention, not law
Estimated initial cash requirement
Enter your income to see an estimate.
First month's rent plus a security deposit at the New York legal maximum of one month's rent, based on the top of your conservative range. Does not include broker fees, moving costs, or furniture — use the Move-In Cost Calculator for a full itemized total.
This tool applies two common conventions side by side — a conservative 25–30% of income and the market's 40× rule — so you can see both the cautious range and what landlords commonly ask for.
Questions
What is the “40× rule”?
It's a common market convention many NYC landlords and brokers use: they want your annual income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. It's not a law — it's just what's commonly asked for, so we show it as a target, not a requirement.
What if I have a guarantor?
A guarantor can offset a shortfall in income by co-signing and agreeing to cover rent if you can't. Requirements vary by landlord — some ask for a guarantor earning 80× the monthly rent instead of the tenant meeting 40×.
What does “cost-burdened” mean?
Housing researchers generally call a household “cost-burdened” when it spends more than 30% of gross income on rent, and “severely cost-burdened” above 50%. It's a planning benchmark, not a legal threshold.