What is the Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO)?

The Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO) is a Gera-calculated figure that adds four real government-published costs: average monthly private rent (ONS PRMS), Band D council tax divided by 12 (MHCLG 2026-27), average monthly household utility costs — electricity, gas and other fuels — (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, regional), and average monthly household transport expenditure (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, regional). It shows what renting costs beyond the headline rent figure, across 294 English local authorities.

What is the Gera Disposable Income Ratio (GDIR)?

GDIR = (monthly net income − GTMO) / monthly net income × 100. It shows the percentage of your take-home pay that remains after essential housing and living outgoings. Higher GDIR means more money left over. A GDIR below zero means outgoings exceed take-home pay at that salary. Net income is derived using HMRC 2026-27 income tax and Class 1 NI rates.

Why does the tool use regional rather than local utility and transport costs?

The ONS Family Spending survey publishes household utility and transport expenditure at the nine English region level, not per local authority. The cluster uses the real published regional figure for each area's ONS region. Every page states this granularity. Per-LA commute-fare tables (DfT/National Rail) are not freely available at this coverage without a data-sharing agreement — the documented fallback in the cluster brief is to use the ONS regional transport figure rather than fabricate any per-LA estimate.

Which income level is used for the GDIR ranking?

The default ranking uses £35,000 gross annual salary (monthly net £2,393), the closest published income to the ONS median full-time earnings (ASHE 2024). The interactive tool above lets you enter your own salary; the ranking updates instantly for all 294 areas using your take-home figure.

Does GTMO include mortgage costs or deposit?

No. GTMO covers the ongoing monthly outgoings for renters only: rent, council tax, utilities and transport. Mortgage interest, deposit, stamp duty and one-off costs are not included. Council tax uses Band D as a representative figure — actual bills vary by property band and any discounts applied.

True cost of renting in England

Headline rent is only part of the story. The Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO) adds council tax, utility bills and transport across 294 English local authorities — then divides into your take-home pay to show your Disposable Income Ratio (GDIR).

Sources: ONS PRMS rent (May 2026) · MHCLG council tax (2026-27) · ONS Family Spending utilities + transport (FYE 2025). All OGL v3.0. See methodology.

What is the true monthly cost of renting in England beyond headline rent?

As of May 2026, the Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO) for renting in Hartlepool — the most affordable English local authority — is £1,232/month (rent + council tax + utilities + transport), leaving 48.5% of a £35,000/yr salary as disposable income (Gera GDIR). The median GTMO across 294 areas is £1,862/month.

Source:ONS — Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics·as of May 2026updated quarterly (last: 20 June 2026)

Gera True Monthly Outgoing Index£1,862/moNational median GTMO across 294 English local authoritiesHow this index is calculated

Top 10 most affordable areas — GDIR at £35,000/yr gross (as of May 2026)
Rank	Area	Rent/mo	Council tax/mo	Utilities/mo	Transport/mo	GTMO/mo	GDIR
1	Hartlepool	£561	£213	£159	£299	£1,232	48.5%
2	Burnley	£622	£212	£159	£315	£1,309	45.3%
3	County Durham	£638	£219	£159	£299	£1,315	45.1%
4	Redcar and Cleveland	£645	£212	£159	£299	£1,315	45.1%
5	Hyndburn	£640	£206	£159	£315	£1,320	44.8%
6	Darlington	£676	£208	£159	£299	£1,342	43.9%
7	Sunderland	£701	£183	£159	£299	£1,342	43.9%
8	North East Lincolnshire	£618	£207	£163	£359	£1,347	43.7%
9	Pendle	£652	£220	£159	£315	£1,347	43.7%
10	Cumberland	£666	£209	£159	£315	£1,350	43.6%

GDIR at £35,000/yr gross (net £2,393/mo). Utility and transport figures are the ONS Family Spending regional average for each area's ONS English region (9 regions). Council tax is Band D ÷ 12 — actual bills vary by property band.

Browse by region

Calculate your own affordability

Enter your salary — your personalised GTMO and GDIR rank updates instantly across all areas.

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£→ monthly net £2,393(HMRC 2026-27)

Drag or type to adjust. Income tax + NI computed via HMRC 2026-27 rates.

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Most affordable areas at £35,000/yr gross

Sorted by Gera GDIR — highest disposable income ratio first.

#1HartlepoolGTMO £1,232 · rent £561/mo48.5%
#2BurnleyGTMO £1,309 · rent £622/mo45.3%
#3County DurhamGTMO £1,315 · rent £638/mo45.1%
#4Redcar and ClevelandGTMO £1,315 · rent £645/mo45.1%
#5HyndburnGTMO £1,320 · rent £640/mo44.8%
#6DarlingtonGTMO £1,342 · rent £676/mo43.9%
#7SunderlandGTMO £1,342 · rent £701/mo43.9%
#8PendleGTMO £1,347 · rent £652/mo43.7%
#9North East LincolnshireGTMO £1,347 · rent £618/mo43.7%
#10CumberlandGTMO £1,350 · rent £666/mo43.6%

GTMO = rent (ONS PRMS May 2026) + council tax (MHCLG 2026-27, Band D /12) + utilities (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, region average) + transport (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, region average). GDIR computed in your browser from your salary using HMRC 2026-27 rates. See the full methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO)?: The Gera True Monthly Outgoing (GTMO) is a Gera-calculated figure that adds four real government-published costs: average monthly private rent (ONS PRMS), Band D council tax divided by 12 (MHCLG 2026-27), average monthly household utility costs — electricity, gas and other fuels — (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, regional), and average monthly household transport expenditure (ONS Family Spending FYE 2025, regional). It shows what renting costs beyond the headline rent figure, across 294 English local authorities.
What is the Gera Disposable Income Ratio (GDIR)?: GDIR = (monthly net income − GTMO) / monthly net income × 100. It shows the percentage of your take-home pay that remains after essential housing and living outgoings. Higher GDIR means more money left over. A GDIR below zero means outgoings exceed take-home pay at that salary. Net income is derived using HMRC 2026-27 income tax and Class 1 NI rates.
Why does the tool use regional rather than local utility and transport costs?: The ONS Family Spending survey publishes household utility and transport expenditure at the nine English region level, not per local authority. The cluster uses the real published regional figure for each area's ONS region. Every page states this granularity. Per-LA commute-fare tables (DfT/National Rail) are not freely available at this coverage without a data-sharing agreement — the documented fallback in the cluster brief is to use the ONS regional transport figure rather than fabricate any per-LA estimate.
Which income level is used for the GDIR ranking?: The default ranking uses £35,000 gross annual salary (monthly net £2,393), the closest published income to the ONS median full-time earnings (ASHE 2024). The interactive tool above lets you enter your own salary; the ranking updates instantly for all 294 areas using your take-home figure.
Does GTMO include mortgage costs or deposit?: No. GTMO covers the ongoing monthly outgoings for renters only: rent, council tax, utilities and transport. Mortgage interest, deposit, stamp duty and one-off costs are not included. Council tax uses Band D as a representative figure — actual bills vary by property band and any discounts applied.

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Data sources

Contains public sector information published by Office for National Statistics (ONS) and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: ONS — Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics (May 2026, published 17 June 2026).

Contains public sector information published by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: MHCLG — Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (2026-27, published 2026).

Contains public sector information published by Office for National Statistics (ONS) and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: ONS — Family Spending in the UK: expenditure by region FYE 2025 (Table A35, row 4.4) (FYE 2025 (3-year average FYE 2023-2025), published 2026).

Contains public sector information published by Office for National Statistics (ONS) and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: ONS — Family Spending in the UK: expenditure by region FYE 2025 (Table A33, row 7, Transport) (FYE 2025 (3-year average FYE 2023-2025), published 2026).

Contains public sector information published by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: HMRC — Income Tax rates and thresholds 2026-27 (2026-27, published 2026).