Tenants Spending Nearly a Third of Their Income on Rent — What the UK Data Means for SA Renters

Our take

While this research covers the UK market, the core finding — that renters are spending roughly a third of their gross income on housing — is a useful benchmark for South African tenants and landlords to hold up against local conditions. In SA, the generally accepted affordability guideline is that housing costs should not exceed 30% of gross monthly income. In cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, where rental inflation has been running ahead of wage growth, many tenants — particularly younger renters in their late twenties and early thirties — are already at or beyond that threshold. Gqeberha and smaller metros still offer relative relief, but urban migration continues to push demand in the big centres. For SA landlords, the message is practical: a tenant stretched beyond 30% of income is a credit risk. Thorough affordability checks — not just employment verification — are worth doing before signing a lease. The Rental Housing Act already encourages fair, sustainable tenancies, and the Rental Housing Tribunal remains a resource when things go wrong. For tenants, this data is a reminder to budget honestly before committing to a lease. If rent plus utilities pushes you past a third of take-home pay, it is worth exploring room-share arrangements or suburbs one ring further out. Affordability is not just a number — it is the foundation of a stable tenancy.