Your comfortable range from the 30% benchmark, adjusted for your debts — free, instant, no account.
Your answer
Your comfortable rent range from the 30% benchmark, the debt-adjusted ceiling lenders use, and the income a landlord’s 3× screen would want to see.
| Annual household income | Gross monthly | 30% benchmark rent | Landlord 3× screen supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,333 | $1,000/mo | $1,111/mo |
| $50,000 | $4,167 | $1,250/mo | $1,389/mo |
| $60,000 | $5,000 | $1,500/mo | $1,667/mo |
| $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,750/mo | $1,944/mo |
| $80,000 | $6,667 | $2,000/mo | $2,222/mo |
| $100,000 | $8,333 | $2,500/mo | $2,778/mo |
| $120,000 | $10,000 | $3,000/mo | $3,333/mo |
| $150,000 | $12,500 | $3,750/mo | $4,167/mo |
The 30% benchmark is CMHC's affordability standard for shelter costs (rent + utilities) against before-tax income. Debt payments shrink the comfortable number — the calculator above applies the 44% housing-plus-debt ceiling lenders use.
The standard benchmark is 30% of your gross (before-tax) household income. On a $60,000 salary that's about $1,500/month; on $80,000 about $2,000/month; on $100,000 about $2,500/month. If you carry debt payments, keeping rent plus debt within about 44% of gross income — the ceiling mortgage lenders use — is the safer bound.
CMHC's long-standing affordability standard: housing is considered affordable when shelter costs — rent plus utilities like heat and hydro — take no more than 30% of a household's before-tax income. It's a benchmark, not a law; many renters in expensive cities live above it, but past 50% CMHC and Statistics Canada count housing as severely unaffordable.
About $1,500/month at the 30% benchmark ($60,000 ÷ 12 × 30%). If you have car payments, student loans or credit-card minimums, subtract those from your budget — keeping rent plus debt payments within about 44% of gross monthly income ($2,200 on this salary) is the bound lenders use.
Many Canadian landlords screen for gross income around 3× the monthly rent — the same math as rent taking 33% of income. For a $2,000/month apartment that means roughly $72,000/year household income, shown through pay stubs, an employment letter or bank statements. It's a common screen, not a legal requirement, and some provinces restrict income-ratio screening.
Yes — the benchmark covers shelter costs, which include rent plus utilities such as heat, hydro and water. If a listing's rent excludes utilities, add an estimate (often $100–$250/month depending on the unit and province) before comparing against your 30% number.