Do you have to make 3x the rent?

No. Three times the rent is the most common requirement, and it is a landlord policy, not a universal one. Plenty of landlords accept 2.5 times the rent or 2 times the rent, and most will consider an applicant below their line who brings a co-signer, a larger deposit or proof of savings.

Large apartment communities tend to hold to a written standard and apply it to everyone. Individual owners renting one or two units usually have more room to make a judgment call.

The requirement also varies by place. New York City landlords use 40 times the monthly rent in yearly income, which is stricter than 3x. See how to rent without 3x income for the ways around it.