Effective April 1, 2026
CityFHEPS voucher amounts for 2026
The most CityFHEPS will approve for rent in New York City, by household and apartment size, and how much lower that number is when you pay your own gas or electric. Every figure is from DSS-8r (E), dated October 14, 2026, the city's own payment standards form.
- Studio
- $2,604
- 1 bedroom
- $2,734
- 2 bedrooms
- $2,997
- 3 bedrooms
- $3,753
Maximum rent with all utilities included
Your household size sets the apartment size on your shopping letter. Ask your worker which ceiling applies if the unit size differs from your shopping letter. The same amounts apply in all five boroughs.
| Household | Size | 2026 maximum | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SRO | $1,953 | $1,985 |
| 1 | Studio | $2,604 | $2,646 |
| 1 or 2 | 1 bedroom | $2,734 | $2,762 |
| 3 or 4 | 2 bedrooms | $2,997 | $3,058 |
| 5 or 6 | 3 bedrooms | $3,753 | $3,811 |
| 7 or 8 | 4 bedrooms | $4,077 | $4,111 |
| 9 or 10 | 5 bedrooms | $4,689 | $4,728 |
| 11 or 12 | 6 bedrooms | $5,301 | $5,345 |
| 13 or 14 | 7 bedrooms | $5,913 | $5,962 |
| 15 or 16 | 8 bedrooms | $6,524 | $6,579 |
Which year applies to you. Packages submitted on or after March 1, 2026, or with a lease starting April 1, 2026 or later, use the 2026 amounts. Renewals and packages submitted through February 28, 2026 could use the 2025 amounts unless the lease started April 1, 2026 or later. If your shopping letter is older, ask the office that issued it which schedule your case uses.
Maximum rent when you pay your own utilities
Each row is the 2026 maximum minus the utility allowance for what the tenant pays. A common setup in New York City is that the landlord covers heat and hot water and the tenant pays cooking gas and electric, which is the first row.
| Tenant pays | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 5 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing (all included) | $2,604 | $2,734 | $2,997 | $3,753 | $4,077 | $4,689 |
| Cooking gas and electric | $2,479 | $2,593 | $2,816 | $3,532 | $3,816 | $4,388 |
| Electric (gas stove) | $2,508 | $2,626 | $2,855 | $3,577 | $3,867 | $4,445 |
| Cooking gas | $2,575 | $2,701 | $2,958 | $3,708 | $4,026 | $4,632 |
| Electric, with an electric stove | $2,493 | $2,608 | $2,830 | $3,544 | $3,826 | $4,396 |
| Gas heat and hot water | $2,509 | $2,622 | $2,859 | $3,594 | $3,894 | $4,483 |
| Oil heat and hot water | $2,485 | $2,595 | $2,828 | $3,554 | $3,848 | $4,431 |
| Electric heat and hot water | $2,515 | $2,628 | $2,859 | $3,582 | $3,874 | $4,452 |
| Heat pump | $2,573 | $2,697 | $2,957 | $3,706 | $4,022 | $4,624 |
The landlord states which utilities are included on the landlord utility form, and DSS applies the allowance. If you would pay more than one of these, for example electric plus gas heat, ask your caseworker for the exact maximum before you rule an apartment in or out.
2026 CityFHEPS utility allowances
The monthly amounts DSS subtracts, by apartment size.
| Utility the tenant pays | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 5+ BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump | $31 | $37 | $40 | $47 | $55 | $65 |
| Cooking gas | $29 | $33 | $39 | $45 | $51 | $57 |
| Electric (gas stove) | $96 | $108 | $142 | $176 | $210 | $244 |
| Cooking gas and electric | $125 | $141 | $181 | $221 | $261 | $301 |
| Electric, with an electric stove | $111 | $126 | $167 | $209 | $251 | $293 |
| Gas heat and hot water | $95 | $112 | $138 | $159 | $183 | $206 |
| Oil heat and hot water | $119 | $139 | $169 | $199 | $229 | $258 |
| Electric heat and hot water | $89 | $106 | $138 | $171 | $203 | $237 |
Source: DSS-8r (E), dated October 14, 2026, page 3. These amounts are only for moves within the five boroughs. For a move elsewhere in New York State, DSS posts separate statewide amounts on its CityFHEPS documents page.
How much of the rent you pay
CityFHEPS does not pay the whole rent. Your household pays a share, and CityFHEPS pays the rest of the approved rent. For most households the share is 30 percent of total monthly gross income. The city's rule sets the CityFHEPS payment at the actual rent, up to the maximum rent less the utility allowance, minus that share (68 RCNY 10-06(b)).
| Your situation | Your monthly share |
|---|---|
| No one in the household gets Cash Assistance | 30 percent of total monthly gross income at approval or renewal |
| Someone in the household gets Cash Assistance | 30 percent of gross income or the maximum shelter allowance, whichever is greater |
| No income at renewal | The maximum shelter allowance for your household size |
| You rent a room | $50 or the monthly shelter allowance, whichever is greater |
Example with made-up numbers. A household with $2,000 a month in gross income and no Cash Assistance rents a two-bedroom at $2,816, paying its own cooking gas and electric. Its share is $600, which is 30 percent of $2,000, and CityFHEPS pays $2,216. Your approval notice states your real amounts.
After year five. The 2025 rule set the share at 40 percent of gross income for households with earned income who renew beyond their fifth year. The City Council then passed Local Law 176 of 2025 on December 4, 2025, limiting the household rent contribution. HRA has not said which figure it now applies, so ask your caseworker at renewal. The CityFHEPS renewal guide follows that question.
Rooms and SROs
A rented room has a flat maximum of $1,100 a month. An SRO has its own payment standard of $1,953 for 2026 ($1,985 for 2025). Both can be rented with CityFHEPS only inside the five boroughs. The room figure is not in the yearly table and did not change when the apartment amounts did.
| Item | Rented room | SRO unit |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum monthly rent | $1,100 | $1,953 for 2026 |
| Who it is for | A household of no more than two adults | Family size 1 |
| Utilities | Heat, hot water, electricity and, if the stove is not electric, cooking gas must be included in the rent | The standard is the maximum if all utilities are included |
| Your share | $50 or the monthly shelter allowance, whichever is greater | Not stated separately in the DSS documents |
| Landlord form | Landlord Package for Room and SRO Rentals (DSS-8g) | DSS-8g |
Sources: room figures from DSS-8j (01/28/2026), page 3, and DSS-7r (01/23/2026), page 4. SRO figures from DSS-8r (E), dated October 14, 2026, page 1. FHEPS has no SRO amount.
A rent under the maximum can still be turned down
DSS also checks that the rent is reasonable. Its tenant FAQ says all rents must pass a rent reasonableness test, so the rent cannot be more than similar units in the neighborhood, and the test is done after all paperwork is submitted (DSS-7r, page 7). For a rent-stabilized apartment, DSS uses state DHCR records to confirm the rent is at or below the legal rent. The unit and building must also clear a violations check and pass a walkthrough, covered in the CityFHEPS walkthrough checklist.
Moving outside New York City
You can rent an apartment anywhere in New York State with CityFHEPS, but the amounts on this page are only valid for moves within the five boroughs. For other counties, HRA's Statewide CityFHEPS page links a Maximum Rents by County tool. Rooms and SROs are for the five boroughs only. The CityFHEPS moving guide covers the transfer steps.
When CityFHEPS amounts change
DSS has published no fixed date for new amounts. Local Law 71 of 2021 ties CityFHEPS maximums to the federal Section 8 payment standard rule. In 2026, NYCHA's Section 8 standards for new rentals took effect January 1, and CityFHEPS adopted the same amounts on April 1. As of October 7, 2026, neither DSS nor NYCHA had posted a 2027 schedule, so NYCHA's payment standards page is the one to watch.
Find an apartment at or under your amount
CityFHEPS amounts: common questions
How much is a CityFHEPS voucher for a 1-bedroom in 2026?
The 2026 CityFHEPS maximum rent for a 1-bedroom in New York City is $2,734 a month with all utilities included. If you pay cooking gas and electric yourself, the most that can be approved is $2,593.
How much is a CityFHEPS voucher for a 2-bedroom in 2026?
The 2026 CityFHEPS maximum rent for a 2-bedroom in New York City is $2,997 a month with all utilities included, for a household of 3 or 4. If you pay cooking gas and electric yourself, the most that can be approved is $2,816.
How much is a CityFHEPS voucher for a 3-bedroom in 2026?
The 2026 CityFHEPS maximum rent for a 3-bedroom in New York City is $3,753 a month with all utilities included, for a household of 5 or 6. If you pay cooking gas and electric yourself, the most that can be approved is $3,532.
What are the CityFHEPS amounts without utilities?
The published maximums assume every utility is in the lease. When the tenant pays a utility, DSS subtracts a utility allowance for it. For cooking gas and electric together the 2026 allowance is $96 for a studio, $108 for a 1-bedroom, $142 for a 2-bedroom and $176 for a 3-bedroom.
Did the CityFHEPS amounts go down in 2026?
Yes. The 2026 schedule is slightly lower than the 2025 one: a 2-bedroom went from $3,058 to $2,997. Packages submitted on or after March 1, 2026, or with a lease starting April 1, 2026 or later, use the 2026 amounts. Renewals and packages submitted through February 28, 2026 could use the 2025 amounts unless the lease started April 1, 2026 or later.
How much rent do I pay with CityFHEPS?
Most households pay 30 percent of their total monthly gross income, and CityFHEPS pays the rest of the approved rent. If someone in the household gets Cash Assistance, the share is 30 percent of income or the maximum shelter allowance, whichever is greater. Your approval notice states your exact amount.
What is the CityFHEPS maximum for a room or an SRO?
A rented room has a flat maximum of $1,100 a month, for a household of no more than two adults, with heat, hot water and electricity included in the rent. An SRO has its own 2026 maximum of $1,953. Both can be rented with CityFHEPS only inside the five boroughs.
Do these amounts apply outside New York City?
No. These amounts are only for moves within the five boroughs. For a move elsewhere in New York State, DSS publishes separate statewide amounts on its CityFHEPS documents page.
VoucherMatch is an independent marketplace, not a government agency. Confirm your own maximum with your HRA caseworker or housing specialist before you sign anything.