Section 8 Rent Increase: How to Request One (60-Day Rule)
Quick answerIn the United States, as of October 7, 2026, an owner raises a Housing Choice Voucher rent by notifying the tenant's housing agency in writing at least 60 days before the new rent starts, and only after the initial lease term. The agency must find the new rent reasonable against comparable unassisted units first. Federal rules set no percentage cap; state or local rent limits apply where they exist.
Last checked: October 7, 2026, against 24 CFR 982.308, 982.309, 982.451, 982.503, 982.505, 982.507, 982.508, 982.509, 982.515, 982.521 and 983.301 to 983.305 (eCFR current to October 5, 2026); HUD form HUD-52641 (4/2023); HUD's final rule at 89 FR 38224 (May 7, 2024); and the rent increase pages, forms, guides or plans of the Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Diego housing agencies. General information, not legal advice.
- 60 daysminimum written notice to the housing agency before a change in the rent to owner
- Initial lease termno increase during it, usually the first year
- No percentage capthe federal limit is the reasonable rent, not a set percent
- 10 percentfall in the fair market rent that forces a new reasonable rent review
- 2 yearsearliest a lower payment standard can reach a family that stays put
- 2027the year Dallas is asking owners to postpone increases to
The rule in one paragraph
An owner must tell the housing agency about any change in the rent at least 60 days before it starts, and the new rent may never exceed the rent the agency finds reasonable.
| Rule | What it says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 60 days' notice | "The owner must notify the PHA of any changes in the amount of the rent to owner at least sixty days before any such changes go into effect" | 24 CFR 982.308(g)(4); HUD-52641, Part C (tenancy addendum), section 18.d |
| Not in the first term | "During the initial term of the lease, the owner may not raise the rent to owner" | 24 CFR 982.309(a)(3); HUD-52641, Part C, section 4.b |
| Reasonable rent | The agency "must redetermine the reasonable rent" before any increase, and the rent may not exceed it "at all times during the assisted tenancy" | 24 CFR 982.507(a); HUD-52641, Part B, section 6 |
| In writing | Agreed lease changes "must be in writing, and the owner must immediately give the PHA a copy" | 24 CFR 982.308(g)(1) |
| Local limits | The rent "also may be subject to rent control limits under State or local law" | 24 CFR 982.509 |
What it means: the tenant's signature on a renewal does not change the rent by itself. The agency's approval does.
Source: 24 CFR 982.308, 982.309, 982.507 and 982.509; form HUD-52641 (4/2023).
Older guides place the 60-day sentence in Part B of the HAP contract; it is in Part C, the tenancy addendum. And 24 CFR 982.519, once cited for annual adjustments, is no longer in part 982.
New York City owners face three agencies and State rent law on top of this, covered in the NYC rent increase guide.
When you can ask
After the initial lease term ends and at the times the lease allows. The initial term must be at least one year unless the agency approved a shorter one (24 CFR 982.309).
- The initial term is over. see the federal table above
- The lease allows the change. "Changes in the rent to owner shall be determined by the provisions of the lease" (HUD-52641, Part C, section 4.b)
- The agency's own limit is met. often one request a year (comparison table below)
How much is a reasonable rent increase?
No federal rule gives a percentage. A reasonable rent increase is one that leaves the rent no higher than rents for comparable unassisted units, and no higher than the owner charges for comparable unassisted units in the same premises (24 CFR 982.507).
The test is the resulting rent, not the size of the step. A state or local rent law can set a lower ceiling.
What the authority compares your rent to
The agency compares the rent with rents for comparable unassisted units, and the rule names what it must consider.
- The unit"the location, quality, size, unit type, and age of the contract unit"
- What the owner provides"any amenities, housing services, maintenance and utilities to be provided by the owner in accordance with the lease"
- The owner's other unitsby accepting each monthly payment, the owner certifies the rent "is not more than rent charged by the owner for comparable unassisted units in the premises", and must give the agency rent information it asks for
The tenant-based rule sets no number of comparables; what each agency asks for is in the checklist below.
- Before any increase"Before any increase in the rent to owner"
- When the fair market rent falls"If there is a 10 percent decrease in the published FMR in effect 60 days before the contract anniversary (for the unit size rented by the family) as compared with the FMR in effect 1 year before the contract anniversary"
- When HUD says so"If directed by HUD"
- Any other timethe agency "may also redetermine the reasonable rent at any other time"
What it means: a review can lower a rent as well as raise it. Chicago's owner guidebook warns that if the market has fallen, "the Contract Rent will be lowered."
Source: 24 CFR 982.507.
Metros where HUD's benchmark dropped are listed in HUD fair market rent changes by metro.
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The request, step by step
The owner notifies the tenant and the agency, the agency tests the rent, and the new rent starts on the date in the agency's notice.
- 1OwnerConfirm the initial lease term has ended, the lease allows a change, and any state or local rent limit is met.
- 2Owner to tenantGive the written notice the lease and state or local law require.
- 3Owner to agencyFile the form or portal request at least 60 days before the proposed date, or earlier if the agency says so.
- 4AgencyChecks the request and redetermines the reasonable rent.
- 5Agency to ownerApproves the rent, or names the rent it found reasonable.
- 6AgencyRecalculates the subsidy and the tenant's payment and sends written notice with the effective date.
- 7OwnerCharges the new rent from that date. Until then the tenant owes only the old amount.
What it means: steps 2 and 3 are separate duties with separate deadlines.
Source: 24 CFR 982.308, 982.505 and 982.507 and the agency documents below. Diagram by VoucherMatch, October 7, 2026.
How five large housing agencies take rent increase requests
Each agency adds its own form, lead time and effective date to the federal 60 days.
| Agency | How to file | Lead time | How often | Effective date | Processing time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) | "Request for Rental Adjustment" web form, or the bob.ai portal | "at least 60-90 days prior to the end of the lease term" | Once per year | Set by DHA, which gives the family 30 days' written notice | None published |
| Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) | HCV Owner Portal only | 60 days if the family has lived in the unit less than three years, 120 days if longer | Once every 12 months per unit | After the end of a lease term; never mid-lease | None published |
| Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) | Copy of the tenant notice by email, fax or mail to the Contract Rent Desk | 60 days to SHA; SHA says the City of Seattle requires 180 days to the tenant | No limit stated | Only when the tenancy is month-to-month or up for renewal | None published |
| Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) | Rent Café landlord portal, "Rent Increase Request" | 60 days | Once a year after the initial term | The 1st of a month at least 60 days after the request is entered | None published |
| San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) | Online Rent Change Application Form | 60 days | No limit stated; "at any time after the initial term" | The owner's date or the first of the month after a full 60 days, whichever is later | Decision 30 days before the requested date |
What it means: only San Diego publishes a decision time, so file early and keep proof of the filing date.
Sources: DHA Request for Rental Adjustment, how to submit and Administrative Plan, VI.N; CHA Lease Management page and Property Owner Guidebook, page 38; SHA How to request a rent increase and rent increase notice (revised 6/2022); HACLA RentCafe Landlord Guide (February 25, 2026) and Landlord Benefits (updated September 9, 2026); SDHC Establishing Rents and Rent Increase Request FAQ (updated June 18, 2025). Table compiled by VoucherMatch.
Watch outDallas's form says HUD and DHA are "projecting a shortfall in federal funds" for 2026 payments and asks, "Are you willing to postpone your request for a rental rate increase until 2027?" DHA's plan lets it suspend processing "whenever funds are not sufficient." The rest of DHA's process is in becoming a Section 8 landlord in Dallas.
Los Angeles began moving owners to the Rent Café portal on January 1, 2026. Its guide warns that the amount entered must be the full new rent: typing $100 to raise a $1,000 rent asks to cut it to $100.
- The agency's form or portal entry. the unit, the full new rent and the proposed date
- A copy of the tenant's written notice. required by Seattle and Los Angeles; Los Angeles also wants proof of service
- The date the tenant was notified. Dallas asks for it and tells owners to wait if notice has not been given
- Rents for unassisted units in the same complex. Dallas (leased within 60 days) and San Diego (two); optional in Los Angeles (up to three)
- The signed lease change or renewal. federal rules require a copy of any written lease change
- Nothing that changes who pays a utility or the lease term. those need a new tenancy approval and a new HAP contract (24 CFR 982.308(g)(2))
Sources: the agency documents above. Find any other agency's page through the housing authority directory.
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Why an approved increase may not raise your check
The agency's payment rises with the rent only until gross rent reaches the payment standard; above that, the tenant pays every added dollar. Gross rent is the rent to owner plus the utility allowance for utilities the tenant pays.
The subsidy is the lower of the payment standard minus the total tenant payment, or the gross rent minus the total tenant payment (24 CFR 982.505). The total tenant payment comes from income, not from the rent; see what happens when income goes up.
ExampleExample figures, not a real agency's amounts. Payment standard $1,800. Utility allowance $150 for tenant-paid utilities. Total tenant payment $500. Current rent to owner $1,400.
View the data table
| Rent to owner | Agency pays owner | Tenant pays owner |
|---|---|---|
| $1,400 now | 1,050 | 350 |
| $1,600, gross rent under the standard | 1,250 | 350 |
| $1,800, gross rent over the standard | 1,300 | 500 |
| Step | $1,400 now | $1,600 | $1,800 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent (rent plus $150) | $1,550 | $1,750 | $1,950 |
| Gross rent over the $1,800 standard | $0 | $0 | $150 |
| Subsidy: lower of $1,800 or gross rent, minus $500 | $1,050 | $1,250 | $1,300 |
| Tenant pays owner (rent minus subsidy) | $350 | $350 | $500 |
| Change in subsidy from now | +$200 | +$250 | |
| Change in tenant's payment from now | $0 | +$150 |
What it means: the first $200 of increase costs this tenant nothing; of the next $200, the tenant pays $150.
Source: VoucherMatch's arithmetic under 24 CFR 982.505 and 982.515, with example figures.
The limit of 40 percent of adjusted income on the family share applies when a tenancy is first approved, not after a later increase (24 CFR 982.508 is titled "Maximum family share at initial occupancy"). Chicago's guidebook says the family "will most likely be responsible for paying the difference" and may ask for moving papers.
What a change in the payment standard does mid-tenancy
A payment standard can change while a family is in place. The basic range is 90 to 110 percent of the fair market rent, with exception amounts above it under conditions in the rule (24 CFR 982.503).
- Standard goes upthe agency must use it no later than the earliest of a gross rent increase that would raise the family share, the family's first regular or interim reexamination, or one year after the increase took effect
- Standard goes downthe agency "may choose not to reduce" it for as long as the family stays in the unit
- If the agency does reduce itnot "any earlier than two years following the effective date of the decrease", and only after "at least 12 months' written notice" to the family
What it means: a rent increase that would raise the tenant's share brings a higher standard into the calculation.
Source: 24 CFR 982.505(c)(3) and (c)(4), as revised by HUD's final rule of May 7, 2024, 89 FR 38224, effective June 6, 2024, with compliance required by December 3, 2024.
On decreases, Dallas's plan keeps "the existing higher payment standard" for as long as the family is assisted in that unit (Administrative Plan, VII.A). Current local amounts are in the payment standard pages for Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Project-based vouchers, tax credit units and rent control
Some units follow different rent rules from an ordinary tenant-based voucher.
| Unit type | How the rent changes | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Project-based voucher (PBV) | Increases start at the HAP contract's annual anniversary, by owner request on the notice the agency's plan sets, or automatically by HUD's operating cost adjustment factor (OCAF) if the contract provides it. The rent may not exceed the lowest of up to 110 percent of fair market rent minus the utility allowance, the reasonable rent, or the rent requested. No increase while the owner is out of compliance | 24 CFR 983.301, 983.302 |
| Tenant-based voucher in a tax credit (LIHTC) or HOME unit | No comparison with unassisted units if the voucher rent does not exceed the rent for the project's other LIHTC or HOME units without vouchers. Above that, the cap is the lesser of the reasonable rent and the payment standard | 24 CFR 982.507(c) |
| PBV in a tax credit unit | The tax credit rent replaces the 110 percent limit only under the rule's conditions; the lowest-of test still applies | 24 CFR 983.301(c) |
| Unit under state or local rent control | The local limit applies in addition to the reasonable rent test | 24 CFR 982.509, 983.305 |
| Section 236, 202, 221(d)(3) BMIR or Section 515 project | The rent to owner is the subsidized rent set by that program | 24 CFR 982.521 |
What it means: "lower of" is the pattern. No voucher rule lifts a rent above another limit that already binds the unit.
Source: 24 CFR 982.507, 982.521, 983.301, 983.302 and 983.305.
VoucherMatch did not survey state and local rent laws for this article. How project-based units differ is in Section 8 vs. public housing vs. project-based.
What to do if the request is denied or cut
Take the rent the agency found reasonable, or send better evidence where the agency accepts it. No owner appeal appears in 24 CFR 982.507, and the next step differs by agency.
- DallasDHA "will attempt to negotiate the rent with the owner"; if the owner does not agree to a rent within its guidelines, the tenant is issued a voucher to move
- San Diegothe web page says an owner who disagrees may submit three comparable units within two miles; the FAQ says "SDHC's decision is final" and a new request can be filed any time
- Chicago, Seattle, Los Angelesno reconsideration step was found in the pages read
Key pointThe owner may never collect the difference from the tenant. The owner "may not demand or accept any rent payment from the tenant in excess of this maximum, and must immediately return any excess rent payment" (24 CFR 982.451(b)(4)), and certifies in the HAP contract that no other payment for the unit is received (HUD-52641, Part B, section 8.d). Remedies for a breach include ending the contract (Part B, section 10).
A tenant who falls behind on the approved share is covered in when a Section 8 tenant does not pay their portion.
Mistakes that get requests denied
The agencies read turn requests away or delay them for four published reasons.
- Filing with less than 60 days to run. Los Angeles and San Diego push the start to a later first of the month
- Asking during the initial term or mid-lease. barred by 24 CFR 982.309 and by Chicago's guidebook
- An inspection problem. Chicago requires no outstanding fail items, Seattle a passed most recent inspection, and San Diego refuses owners whose contracts are in abatement
- Skipping the tenant's notice. Dallas tells owners to delay the request until the tenant has been notified
Sources: the agency documents in the comparison table. What inspectors check is in what Section 8 inspectors look for.
For tenants: what an increase request means for you
Your payment changes only when the agency approves the new rent, and it rises only if the new gross rent is above your payment standard.
- If your share would go up: Dallas says it gives 30 days' notice first; ask your agency for the calculation
- If you cannot afford it: Chicago says a family may request moving papers; Section 8 portability explains moving with a voucher
- If you are asked for more than the approved amount: 24 CFR 982.451(b)(4) prohibits it; report it to the agency
New York tenants facing a non-renewal can read the Section 8 eviction process in NYC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord raise the rent on a Section 8 tenant?
- Yes, after the initial lease term, with 60 days' notice to the agency and its approval; see the rule.
How much can a Section 8 rent increase be?
- Federal rules set no percentage; see how much is reasonable.
How much notice does a landlord have to give for a Section 8 rent increase?
- At least 60 days to the agency; see the agency table.
Does the tenant have to agree to the rent increase?
- A lease change must be agreed in writing, but the agency's approval is what makes the new rent payable.
Will my HAP payment go up when the rent goes up?
- Only while the gross rent is at or below the payment standard; see the worked example.
Can I charge a Section 8 tenant more than my other tenants?
- No. The owner certifies with each payment that the rent is not above comparable unassisted units in the premises (24 CFR 982.507(d)).
What if the housing authority says my rent is too high?
- Accept the rent it found reasonable or, where the agency allows, send closer comparables; see denied or cut.
How long does a Section 8 rent increase take to process?
- Of the five agencies read, only San Diego publishes a time: a decision 30 days before the requested date.
Next step: find the lease end date, open the agency's rent increase page, and count back its lead time.
Have a vacancy coming up? List your property on VoucherMatch to reach voucher holders who are searching now.
Sources for this article (26)
- 24 CFR 982.308 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.309 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.507 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.509 (ecfr.gov)
- form HUD-52641 (hud.gov)
- Request for Rental Adjustment (dhantx.com)
- how to submit (dhantx.com)
- Administrative Plan (dhantx.com)
- Lease Management page (thecha.org)
- Property Owner Guidebook (thecha.org)
- How to request a rent increase (seattlehousing.org)
- rent increase notice (seattlehousing.org)
- RentCafe Landlord Guide (hacla.org)
- Landlord Benefits (hacla.org)
- Establishing Rents (sdhc.org)
- Rent Increase Request FAQ (sdhc.org)
- 24 CFR 982.505 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.515 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.503 (ecfr.gov)
- May 7, 2024, 89 FR 38224 (federalregister.gov)
- 982.521 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.301 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.302 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.305 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.451(b)(4) (ecfr.gov)
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