Housing · Rental budget

Know what the move will take.

Rent is one part of the picture. Put the monthly costs and cash needed up front in one place.

Your household, your numbers

Enter monthly take-home income for your household. This is a personal cash budget, not the income definition used by a housing program. Leave unknown amounts blank; enter 0 only when there is no cost. Use dollars without commas. No address, account number or medical information needed. Entries stay in this tab and are not saved automatically. Download a workspace file to retain your estimates, or a text report to share your calculated result.

Estimate the costsReopen rental workspace (up to 16 KB)

Workspace files contain your household estimates. Keep them private.

Monthly household budget

Take-home household income

Other household spending

Planned savings

Monthly housing costs

Rent you pay

Utilities paid separately

Renters insurance

Other recurring housing fees

Cash needed before move-in

Security deposit

Rent due before move-in

Moving costs

Utility deposits and connection costs

Other upfront fees

Monthly housing and upfront cash are separate views. Enter all prepaid rent in “Rent due before move-in”; do not add that amount again to deposits or fees. Include only utilities you pay separately. An expected assistance award is not confirmed income.

The calculator needs JavaScript. You can add monthly housing costs and upfront costs separately on paper using the fields above.

Check program limits separately

HUD income limits depend on the program, area, household size and effective year. Fair Market Rent is a reference amount, not a promise of what a voucher will pay. This first budget workspace does not look up local income limits or payment standards.

HUD income limits and effective dates · HUD Fair Market Rents · Help for renters

For local program questions, use Local housing services. If housing is urgent, start with Housing triage. Positive cash remaining does not establish that a lease is affordable or that assistance is available.