A payment standard is the amount a housing authority uses to work out how much of a unit’s rent a Housing Choice Voucher will cover. Each housing authority sets its own payment standard schedule, by unit size.
How payment standards relate to Fair Market Rents
HUD publishes Fair Market Rents every year. A housing authority generally sets its payment standards between 90% and 110% of the Fair Market Rent for each unit size; amounts outside that range are allowed only in situations HUD defines (24 CFR 982.503). In metro areas HUD has designated for Small Area Fair Market Rents, payment standards are based on ZIP-code-level figures instead of one figure for the whole area.
How it affects what you pay
- In general, a voucher household pays about 30% of its adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the voucher pays the rest up to the payment standard.
- If a unit’s rent plus utilities is higher than the payment standard, the household pays the difference.
- When you first move into a unit with a voucher, your share generally cannot be more than 40% of your adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.508).
Where to find your housing authority’s figures
HUD does not publish individual housing authorities’ payment standard schedules. Ask the housing authority that issued (or will issue) your voucher for its current schedule. Every housing authority page on this site shows the Fair Market Rents for the county where that authority’s office is.