Free tool

Rent affordability calculator

A quick screen on whether an applicant can carry the rent. Enter gross income and existing commitments to see the affordable range and how a specific rent measures up.

Gross monthly income (R, before deductions)

Max rent-to-income (%)

Existing monthly debt (R — car, credit, loans)

Rent being considered (R)

Gross monthly income
Affordable rent at of income
Less existing debt commitments
Realistic rent ceiling
Rent considered
Rent as % of gross income

A screening guide, not a credit assessment. It does not replace proper vetting — credit checks, payslips, bank statements and previous-landlord references. Note also that affordability assessments involving credit agreements fall under the National Credit Act; a lease is not a credit agreement, but the same evidence-based caution applies.

The 30% rule, and where it breaks

The common South African guideline is that rent should not exceed about 30% of gross monthly income. It is a useful first filter but a blunt one: it ignores existing debt entirely. An applicant earning R32,000 with a R7,000 vehicle instalment is in a very different position from one earning R32,000 with no debt, yet the 30% rule treats them identically.

That is why this calculator subtracts existing commitments to produce a second, tighter ceiling. Where the two figures diverge sharply, ask for bank statements rather than relying on payslips alone — recurring debit orders tell you far more about real disposable income than a gross salary figure does.

Screen applicants without the admin

Locare captures rental applications through your own branded listings site, so the details you need arrive in a structured pipeline instead of a WhatsApp thread.

See how it works