It's the same in the UK, everything over 33% is called "unaffordable" and you'll fail the affordability checks during referencing. I don't think it's a legal re

It's the same in the UK, everything over 33% is called "unaffordable" and you'll fail the affordability checks during referencing. I don't think it's a legal requirement though, just safer for the landlords. Personally, I've never had a stable income in the UK, so for the last two places I rented I had to pay 12 months upfront. I'm quite skeptical the 33% threshold makes much sense (though it may be a decent heuristic in most cases). Compare these two scenarios: 1) Affordable rent: £18k/yr income, £500/mo rent, £823/mo left after tax 2) Unaffordable rent: £30k/yr income, £1000/mo rent, £1005/mo left after tax #2 is better off financially than #1, assuming costs other than housing are similar [1]. But the 33% affordability threshold will make it harder for #2 to rent than #1. [1] I think that's broadly the case, but will vary based on circumstances. E.g. childcare is more expensive in London, or you might need a car in a rural area.