The 3× rent income rule is not a law

Almost every free-sector advert states an income requirement: three times the basic monthly rent in gross monthly income, sometimes four. On a rent of €1,300 that means a gross monthly income of €3,900 to €5,200.

What it rarely says: this is not a legal requirement. No law says a tenant must earn a particular amount. It is landlord policy, meant to limit the risk of missed payments, and policy is allowed to make exceptions to itself.

Where there is room

• Combined incomes. Many landlords will add two incomes together, sometimes with an adjustment. Ask, because the advert very often does not say.
• Savings. Money in the bank can sometimes make up for a lower income. A landlord wants certainty, not necessarily a salary.
• A guarantor. Common enough with first-time renters and people moving here from abroad.
• Permanent versus fixed-term. A fixed-term job with a permanent contract in prospect weighs differently with one landlord than with the next.

The other side of it

Asking for room is not the same as getting it. With ten complete applications for one property, a landlord rarely picks the one that requires thought. So it mostly pays off on listings that are not snapped up straight away, and you find those by being early rather than by negotiating better.

What not to do

Making your income look better than it is. Payslips get checked, and a tenancy agreement entered into on false information can be annulled. Then you have lost the flat and gained a file.