Rent-to-Income Calculator
Enter a monthly rent to see what gross income a tenant needs to qualify — or enter an income to find out what rent is affordable. Uses the 2.5× and 3× thresholds standard across Ontario.
The 2.5× and 3× rules are market conventions, not law. Ontario landlords should note that Kearney v. Bramalea Ltd. found rent-to-income ratios breach the Human Rights Code when used as a selection criterion. Income may be weighed alongside credit and rental history — not applied as a cutoff.
Results will appear here
For leasing agents
Enter the listing rent to instantly know the minimum income to advertise — and to screen out applications before running a full document review.
For landlords
See where an applicant's stated income sits relative to the rent — one input to weigh alongside credit and rental history, not a cutoff to screen on.
For tenants
Know your realistic budget before applying. Targeting units within your income range means fewer rejections and a faster search.
Common questions
Is the 3× rule required by law in Ontario?
No — and the opposite is closer to the truth. The Residential Tenancies Act mandates no ratio at all, and in Kearney v. Bramalea Ltd. an Ontario Board of Inquiry found that minimum income criteria and rent-to-income ratios breach the Human Rights Code whether used alone or in conjunction with other criteria. The Ontario Superior Court upheld that on appeal. The 2.5× and 3× rules are market conventions, not law, and applying one as a pass/fail cutoff is not permitted. Income may be weighed together with credit references, rental history, and a credit check — as O. Reg. 290/98 requires — but it cannot decide the application by itself. See what Ontario landlords can and cannot legally ask for.
Should I use gross or net income?
Leasing agents almost always use gross income(before tax) for the ratio calculation, since that's what pay stubs and employment letters report. Net income varies too much by individual deductions to be a reliable standard. This calculator uses gross income.
What if a tenant doesn't meet the income threshold?
Options include a co-signer or guarantor who meets the income requirement, a larger security deposit (up to last month's rent under the RTA), or demonstrating substantial savings that would cover rent for an extended period. Some landlords also accept these alternatives for self-employed applicants whose stated income looks low on paper. See our Ontario rental documents guide for more.
How do I verify the income once I have an applicant?
Pay stubs and employment letters are the standard. Use our pay stub deduction calculator to check whether the net pay on a stub is consistent with the stated gross — or DocuVerify for a full document integrity check.