To turn weekly rent into monthly rent, multiply by 52 and divide by 12. £250 a week is £1,083.33 a month, not £1,000, because a year has 52 weeks but only 48 weeks fit into twelve four-week “months”.
The formula and a conversion table
A year has 52 weeks and 12 months. So the monthly cost of a weekly rent is:
- Monthly rent = weekly rent × 52 ÷ 12
Another way to see it: multiply the weekly rent by 52 to get the yearly rent, then split that yearly figure into 12 equal monthly payments. Both routes give the same answer.
Listings often show weekly rent as “pcw” (per calendar week) and monthly rent as “pcm” (per calendar month). If one flat is listed pcw and another pcm, convert one of them before you compare.
Each monthly figure below is the weekly rent × 52 ÷ 12, rounded to the nearest penny. The last column shows how much a “× 4” shortcut would understate the true monthly cost.
| Weekly rent (pcw) | Monthly rent (pcm) | “× 4” shortcut | Shortcut is short by |
|---|---|---|---|
| £100 | £433.33 | £400.00 | £33.33 |
| £150 | £650.00 | £600.00 | £50.00 |
| £200 | £866.67 | £800.00 | £66.67 |
| £250 | £1,083.33 | £1,000.00 | £83.33 |
| £300 | £1,300.00 | £1,200.00 | £100.00 |
| £350 | £1,516.67 | £1,400.00 | £116.67 |
| £400 | £1,733.33 | £1,600.00 | £133.33 |
| £450 | £1,950.00 | £1,800.00 | £150.00 |
| £500 | £2,166.67 | £2,000.00 | £166.67 |
Why multiplying by 4 gets it wrong
Most months are longer than four weeks. Twelve lots of four weeks is only 48 weeks, so “× 4” leaves out four weeks of rent every year.
That gap adds up. On £250 a week, the shortcut says £1,000 a month, or £12,000 a year. The real yearly rent is £250 × 52 = £13,000. The shortcut misses £1,000 a year, which is exactly four weeks’ rent.
If you budget with “× 4”, your monthly budget will look better than it really is. Use the full formula whenever you plan your spending or check whether you can afford a place.
Monthly to weekly: the reverse
To go the other way, multiply the monthly rent by 12 and divide by 52:
- Weekly rent = monthly rent × 12 ÷ 52
| Monthly rent (pcm) | Weekly equivalent (pcw) |
|---|---|
| £800 | £184.62 |
| £1,000 | £230.77 |
| £1,200 | £276.92 |
| £1,500 | £346.15 |
Do not divide monthly rent by 4. That overstates the weekly figure, for the same reason “× 4” understates the monthly one.
Why weekly rent matters for deposits in England
In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 sets deposit limits in weeks of rent, even if you pay monthly:
- A holding deposit can be at most one week’s rent.
- A tenancy deposit can be at most five weeks’ rent if the annual rent is below £50,000, or six weeks’ rent if it is between £50,000 and £100,000.
The Act defines one week’s rent as the annual rent divided by 52. So for a monthly rent, one week’s rent is the monthly rent × 12 ÷ 52, the same reverse formula as above. These limits are England’s rules. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own deposit rules.
For more detail, see the five weeks’ rent deposit explained, or use the tenancy deposit calculator to work out the maximum deposit for a given rent.
Worked example (fictional)
Sam is looking at a room advertised at £180 pcw. Sam is paid monthly and wants a monthly figure.
- Yearly rent: £180 × 52 = £9,360
- Monthly rent: £9,360 ÷ 12 = £780.00
- The “× 4” shortcut would say £720, which is £60 a month (£720 a year) too low.
If this were a tenancy in England, the holding deposit could be at most one week’s rent (£180), and the tenancy deposit at most five weeks’ rent (£180 × 5 = £900), because the annual rent is below £50,000.
Check what you can afford
Once you have the true monthly figure, use the rent affordability calculator to see how it compares with your income. If you are paid weekly yourself, our guide to renting when you are paid weekly or have two jobs explains how agents look at your pay. You can also see how letting agents calculate rent affordability.
Sources
- Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk), checked 4 October 2026
- Tenant Fees Act 2019: guidance for tenants (GOV.UK), checked 4 October 2026
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Report a possible error.