What to do
1. Calculate your monthly housing costs
Add up how much you spend on the following:
- Rent
- Utilities, like water, power and trash
- Renter’s insurance
2. Calculate the percentage of household income you spend on housing costs
For example, if you have monthly housing costs of $800 and monthly income of $2000, your rent burden is 40%.
Levels of rent burden
A rent burden up to 30% is healthy. This allows households to pay for other expenses and save for the future.
In areas with high housing costs like San Francisco, rent burdens over 40% are not uncommon.
A rent burden over 50% is considered severe. If your rent burden is severe, you may be eligible to get help paying your rent.
Get help
Ask a housing counselor
Last updated March 29, 2024