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{"id":1166,"date":"2023-01-26T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T13:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentpmi.com\/blog\/?p=1166"},"modified":"2023-01-26T14:01:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T14:01:01","slug":"how-much-should-you-spend-on-rent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentpmi.com\/blog\/2023\/01\/26\/how-much-should-you-spend-on-rent\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Should You Spend on Rent"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Looking for a new place to rent is an exciting time. Whether you are moving into your first place or looking for something different, you need to know how much rent you can afford. There are a few ways you can work this out. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much you should pay for rent, the 30% rule and the 50\/30\/20 rule are two methods you can use to determine how much you can afford to spend on rent.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What Is the 30% Rule?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The 30% rule ensures you have enough money to cover expenses such as debt repayments, savings, food, utilities, and entertainment. However, there are two weak points to the 30% rule.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

First, it doesn't account for inflation, income stagnation, or rising rent prices. For example, the <\/span><\/span>average rent in the City of Philadelphia<\/span><\/a> was 19% higher in March 2022 than in January 2018. The average hourly wage rate increase at that time was only 2.5%, leaving a gap between renters' wages and rental costs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, the 30% rule doesn't consider your situation. Your financial goals, debt repayments, and the average rental prices in the area all impact how much you can spend on rent.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What Is the 50\/30\/20 Rule?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you have to spend more than 30% of your income on rent, you might try the 50\/30\/20 rule instead. This method splits your income into three parts:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n