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UK Rent Affordability Planner

Compare rent with your take-home pay, essential spending, debt payments and a safety buffer. A personal budgeting view, not landlord eligibility advice.

Last reviewed 15 August 2026Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland

Your details

Calculator inputs

Continue your plan

Useful next calculations

Related to this calculation

Rates & sources

SDLT/LTT/LBTT bands vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the appropriate calculator.

Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland — check the linked guidance and any live quote before acting.

When to use this calculator

  • Before buying, renting, refinancing or reviewing a property investment.
  • When you want to compare cash flow, tax, yield or ownership costs.
  • When you need a fast estimate before speaking to an agent, lender or adviser.
  • When you want to see how a rate or price change moves the result.

A realistic UK planning example

Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.

A realistic UK planning example
InputValue
Monthly take-home income (£)£35,000
Monthly rent (£)6
Essential monthly spending excluding rent (£)6
Monthly debt payments (£)6

After entering these figures, review cash left after plan, rent share of take-home and other commitments + buffer together rather than in isolation. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted.

How to read your results

Cash Left After Plan

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Rent Share of Take-home

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Other Commitments + Buffer

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Total Planned Outgoings

The headline outcome of this calculation. It is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics rather than in isolation.

Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources

This UK-only budgeting planner subtracts the rent, essential spending, debt payments and safety buffer you enter from your stated monthly take-home pay. It shows the remaining amount and the proportion of that take-home pay represented by rent.

It is not landlord, letting-agent, guarantor or benefits eligibility advice. It does not include referencing rules, deposits, rent in advance, local council-tax bands or any legal assessment. Use it to compare your own scenarios, then confirm the full tenancy costs and eligibility directly with the relevant provider.

Common mistakes

  • !Comparing rent and ownership costs without including taxes, fees and maintenance.
  • !Using purchase price alone without testing financing or vacancy assumptions.
  • !Relying on yield or growth in isolation instead of reviewing the full property case.
  • !Using the wrong national transaction-tax calculator for the purchase location.

What to do next

  • Run a second scenario with a higher rate or lower rental yield.
  • Compare the result with a buy-versus-rent or mortgage calculator before making an offer.
  • Use the matching national transaction-tax calculator for the purchase location.
  • Note the key figures to share with your solicitor or lender.

Frequently asked

No. It is a personal budget view only. Landlords, agents and guarantor schemes use their own affordability, referencing and tenancy criteria.

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