Rent affordability calculator
The rent you can carry, and the cash you need before you get the keys.
Who is renting
Money coming in
What actually lands in your account, after tax and deductions.
Car finance, personal loans, childcare, anything fixed.
How hard to push
The usual guide. Comfortable for most households.
Monthly bills
Rent sits inside the usual guide with room to save. That is 30% of take-home pay, held down by your rent to income rule.
- Cash to move inRs 400,500
- Left each monthRs 104,000
- Per personRs 75,000
- RentRs 75k30.0%
- BillsRs 51k20.4%
- CommitmentsRs 20k8.0%
- SavingsRs 25k10.0%
- Left to live onRs 79k31.6%
- Before you get the keysRs 400,500Rs 150,000 of it comes back
- Bills on top of rentRs 51,0007 bills counted
- Rent and bills togetherRs 126,00050% of income
- After the annual increaseRs 82,50033% of today's income
Rent at each level
These are caps on rent alone. Bills, commitments and anything you are saving come out of the same income, which is why your actual ceiling is Rs 75,000.
Cash before you move in
Returned at the end of the tenancy less any damage. Refundable.
Landlords in most cities ask for two to three months up front.
Usually half a month from each side, sometimes a full month.
Registration with the police station is required in most provinces.
Electricity, gas and water accounts moved into your name.
Removals, cleaning and anything the property does not come with.
Deposits are not capped by law. Two months is normal, three is common in Karachi and DHA.
There is no deposit protection scheme. Photograph everything on the day you move in.
Where the month goes
What would change your ceiling
| Change | Rent you could afford | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay up 10% | Rs 82,500 | +Rs 7,500 |
| Bills up 20% | Rs 75,000 | +Rs 0 |
| Stop saving each month | Rs 75,000 | +Rs 0 |
| Commitments cleared | Rs 75,000 | +Rs 0 |
Landlord checks
- CNIC copies for every adult moving in
- Employment letter or business proof
- Two references, usually one from a previous landlord
- Police verification form for the tenancy registration
Most tenancy agreements carry an annual increase clause of about ten percent.
Before you sign
- Work from take-home pay, not the salary on your contract. Every rent rule is written against what actually reaches your account.
- Budget the upfront cash before the monthly rent. Most tenancies fall over on the deposit, not the rent.
- Ask what the last tenant paid in bills. An old boiler or single glazing can add more than a better postcode would.
- Agree the annual increase in writing at the start. An open-ended clause is the one that hurts in year two.
- Photograph and date every room on move-in day, including the meter readings, before you unpack anything.
- Keep one month of rent aside as a buffer. It is the difference between a late payment and a broken reference.
About this calculator
Turn take-home pay into a rent ceiling, add the bills a listing never shows, and work out the deposit and advance you need on day one. Security deposit, advance rent and agent commission counted in months, with the annual increase clause modelled. Deposit capped in weeks under the Tenant Fees Act, and the thirty times income test referencing agencies apply.
Bill estimates are national averages. Ask the landlord or the outgoing tenant what the last twelve months actually cost.