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Budget tool
Rent calculator
Muchas comunidades piden un ingreso mensual de al menos tres veces la renta. Escribe el tuyo para ver la renta que te alcanza.
Updated October 2, 2026
Suma el de todas las personas que estarán en el contrato.
Ingreso mensual dividido entre 3.
Renta de hasta
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Nada de lo que escribes se guarda ni se envía. Los botones llevan solo la cifra de la renta.
In short
Many apartment communities ask for a gross monthly income of at least three times the rent. A $4,500 monthly income points to rent up to $1,500. Nothing you type is saved.
How the three-times rule works
Many apartment communities ask that your gross monthly income, before taxes, be at least three times the monthly rent. The calculator does that math for you: it divides your monthly income by 3, or your yearly income by 36. Each community sets its own rule, and the rule is written down. Texas law requires a landlord to make its tenant selection criteria available when it gives you a rental application, and current income is one of the grounds those criteria can list (Texas Property Code §92.3515). So ask before you apply: which documents count as proof of income, whether the incomes of everyone on the lease are added together, and whether a guarantor can stand in if your own income falls short.
Examples
The same math at four incomes, and the budget range it picks for you.
| Gross income | Rent up to | Budget range |
|---|---|---|
| $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year) | $1,000 | Under $1,200 |
| $3,600 a month ($43,200 a year) | $1,200 | $1,200 to $1,499 |
| $4,500 a month ($54,000 a year) | $1,500 | $1,500 to $1,999 |
| $6,000 a month ($72,000 a year) | $2,000 | $2,000 or more |
What the number leaves out
The three-times figure is about rent alone. Before you settle on a budget, add what the rent may not include:
- Utilities you pay yourself. The rent on a listing may not include them. Our utilities guide covers water, electricity and internet.
- Renters insurance, if the lease requires it. The Texas Department of Insurance puts the average Texas policy at about $20 a month (TDI, updated December 10, 2025). Our renters insurance guide explains what a policy covers.
- What is due at move-in: the application fee, the security deposit, and any pet or parking charges. Ask each community for the full list before you apply.
If the rent the rule allows feels tight once those are added, search with a lower number. The calculator gives you a ceiling, not a target.
What happens to what you type
The calculator runs only in your browser. It doesn’t store your income, and it sends nothing to us while you use it. Each button carries only the rent figure: Search apartments opens the map with that rent as the upper limit of your price filter, and Help me find one picks the matching budget range on the form. Nothing reaches us until you fill in the form and send it.
An estimate, not an approval
The community makes the decision on its own criteria. Once you have a number, search on the map or tell us where you need to be on a weekday, and a licensed agent builds your list from there. The search is free. Our guide on when to start your apartment search lays out the weeks before a move.
Have your number?
Find a place with our map search, or have a licensed agent find options for you.