Rent comparison worksheet: compare similar rentals and find a starting rent
Enter the rents of similar homes you found nearby and see their median, their range and a starting range to test for your own unit.
Your starting range
Enter the rent of at least one comparable to see the range.
If the property is under rent control or a cap on increases, the rules may limit the rent. Check the rules where the property is.
Use the same rent, fees and terms for every applicant for the same unit.
How to pick comparables: the full guide →How it's calculated
- Median = the middle rent once sorted (the average of the two middle ones for an even count). One very high or low listing moves it less than an average would.
- Starting range = the middle half of your comparables, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
- With four or more comparables, a rent more than 1.5 times the middle half's width below or above it is flagged and left out.
- Same-basis rent (full version) = rent × (lease months − free months) ÷ lease months + required monthly fees.
- Adjusted rent (full version) = same-basis rent + your amount × each difference between your unit and the comparable.
- Rent per area (full version) = same-basis rent ÷ size; your unit's size × the median rent per area.
This is an estimate from the numbers you entered. It isn't financial, tax or legal advice. Check the rules where the property is.
The full version adds
- Up to 12 comparables, with days listed and a note each
- Rents on the same basis: free months and required fees
- Your adjustments, line by line, and flags for comparables that differ a lot
- Rent per square foot or meter, and what it gives for your unit
- A printable summary for the conversation with the owner or a co-owner
- Your worksheet saved in this browser
Rent comparison worksheet
Why it matters
Set the rent too high and the home sits empty while the bills keep coming. Set it too low and you lose money every month of the lease.
Comparing real listings like yours, on the same terms, is the most reliable method an owner has without paid market data. The worksheet keeps that comparison in one place.
Use it safely
Risks and how to avoid them
- The range comes from the listings you entered. Treat it as a starting point to test. It isn't a market value or an appraisal.
- Pick comparables in the same area, of the same type and size, listed or rented in the last few months. If the comparables are off, so is the range.
- Asking rents aren't the rents people sign for. Mark the ones you know rented, and weigh them more.
- Some places cap the rent or how much it can go up. Check the rules where the property is, and see the rent increase letter guide before a renewal.
- Use the same rent, fees and terms for every applicant for the same unit.
Free and full versions
What the full version adds
Free version
For everyone, no email
- Your unit and up to three comparables
- The median, the lowest and highest rent, and a starting range to test
- The method and formulas, and a summary to copy
Full version
With your confirmed waitlist email
- Up to 12 comparables, with days listed and a note each
- Rents on the same basis: free months spread over the lease, required fees added
- Your own adjustments for bedrooms, bathrooms, furniture, parking and utilities, shown line by line, with flags for comparables that differ a lot
- Rent per square foot or meter, a printable summary and your worksheet saved in this browser
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Early access
Unlock the full Rent comparison worksheet with your email
Join the RentalThread waitlist and confirm your email: the full version opens on this device. No card, no payment.
- 30% off your first year of a paid plan for the first 100 to confirm
- Access before the public launch
- A say in what we build next
- Free to join, no payment details
- 300 AI credits for inviting 3 friends
Questions
Questions about this tool
Where do the rents come from?
From you. The worksheet has no market data and doesn't search any website. It only does the math on the listings you found and typed in, so the result is as good as your comparables.
How many comparables do I need?
Five to ten similar homes in the same area is a good target. With fewer the range is rough. The free version compares three; the full version takes up to 12.
What is the starting range?
The middle half of your comparables' rents, from the 25th to the 75th percentile. It leaves out the cheapest and dearest quarter. Test it as your price for the first two weeks and watch the views and visits.
Are the tools free?
Yes. The free versions work for everyone, without an email. The full versions are free too: join the waitlist with your email and confirm it to unlock them on that device. No card, no payment.
What does the full version add?
More depth and convenience, such as every template instead of the most common ones, or several properties side by side. Each tool lists what its full version adds.
Do you save what I type?
No. The tools run in your browser, and what you type isn't sent to us. If a full version saves your inputs, they stay in that browser, and "Clear my data" removes them.
Is this the RentalThread app?
No. The free tools work today and are separate from the RentalThread app, which isn't open yet. Joining the waitlist also gets you early access when it opens, in waves.
Is this advice?
No. Results are drafts and estimates from what you enter, not financial, tax, legal or real-estate advice. Rules differ from place to place: check the ones where the property is.