Apartments that accept Section 8 in Riverside, CA
Search for apartments in Riverside using your Housing Choice Voucher. Compare HUD rent benchmarks, then confirm the rent and utilities with the authority administering your voucher. Explore 13 neighborhoods and find contact details for the local housing authorities below.
Section 8 waitlists, PHA contacts & how to apply in Riverside →
Voucher discrimination is illegal here
California SB 329 (2020) makes SOI discrimination illegal statewide. Vouchers, veterans benefits, SSI all covered.
General information, not legal advice. For help with a specific case, use HUD’s fair-housing resources.
Rental listings in Riverside, CA
Active standalone listings recorded in Riverside, CA. Units nested inside building cards are excluded. Missing program tags do not establish refusal; confirm the address, availability, voucher paperwork and utilities with the owner.
No active listings are currently recorded for this search on VoucherMatch. This does not mean there are no rentals in Riverside, CA. Compare the broader search below, consult the agency contacts, or get listing alerts.
Inventory checked . Counts cover this site, not the whole rental market, and may change before the next page refresh.
Check before you pay
Applying for housing assistance or joining an agency waitlist is free. An agency will not ask you to pay by app, wire or gift card to get a spot. Use HUD’s contact page to find your housing agency, then call to check an offer.
Do not pay to view a home or hold a waitlist spot. Before sending rent or a deposit, confirm the home and the person’s right to rent it. See FTC advice on checking a rental.
Sources checked October 16, 2026: HUD OIG’s August 2024 waitlist fraud bulletin and FTC rental-scam guidance (June 2026).
Rental terms used on this page
- Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
- Rental help run by a housing authority. You find a home, and the agency checks the unit, rent and your household before it approves payment.
- Payment standard
- An amount the agency uses to work out housing assistance for a unit size and area. It does not mean that any home at that rent will be approved.
- FMR and SAFMR
- HUD rent estimates for an area (Fair Market Rent) or ZIP code (Small Area Fair Market Rent). They include rent and most tenant-paid utilities. Your agency may use a different payment standard.
- Utility allowance
- The agency’s estimate of the cost of utilities you must pay. It is not a promise to pay your actual bills.
- Gross rent and tenant share
- Gross rent combines the lease rent and the agency’s utility allowance. Your tenant share is the part you must pay after the agency works out your help.
- Portability
- Moving with a voucher to an area served by another housing agency. Ask your current worker what to do before you move.
- Request for tenancy approval
- The unit and owner paperwork your agency needs to start its rent and housing-quality review. Ask the agency for its form and deadline.
Definitions: HUD’s tenant voucher guide, checked October 16, 2026. Confirm the rules and forms with your own agency.
HUD rent benchmarks — ZIP 92501
Small-Area FMR · FY2027| Bedrooms | HUD benchmark / mo |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,530 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,600 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,990 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,630 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,170 |
These are HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, not an adopted housing authority payment standard or a guaranteed rent approval. Your authority determines assistance using its schedule, household income, voucher size and utility allowance. Rent reasonableness and inspection requirements also apply. How HUD vouchers work.
Compare HUD rent benchmarks across Riverside
Selected example ZIP codes, not a ranking of neighborhoods or a count of available homes. These FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents are gross rent benchmarks. The authority's adopted schedule may use different amounts or group several ZIPs together.
| ZIP | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92501 | $1,600 | $1,990 | $2,630 |
| 92503 | $1,840 | $2,270 | $2,990 |
| 92507 | $1,950 | $2,410 | $3,180 |
| 92553 | $1,950 | $2,410 | $3,180 |
| 92883 | $2,550 | $3,150 | $4,150 |
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Confirm the unit's ZIP, agency, utility allowance and effective schedule before applying.
Before you apply for an apartment in Riverside
Riverside County and San Bernardino County have separate housing authorities and program policies. Confirm the administrator for the full address and the program on the voucher. A property-based application uses its own rules and should not be treated as an issued tenant-based voucher.
Check the right rent schedule
Riverside’s current adopted table is effective July 1, 2025 and expressly excludes PBV. Ask which bedroom size applies to the household and unit. Do not substitute a future HUD ZIP figure or carry Riverside’s standard into a San Bernardino calculation. Rent reasonableness and household affordability still require review.
Compare rent plus utilities
Riverside links July 1, 2026 utility schedules for different building categories, including a separate energy-efficient apartment schedule. Ask the agency to confirm the category; an owner’s “energy efficient” advertisement is insufficient. Record fuel, services and appliance responsibility with the proposed lease.
Prepare the unit for approval
Identify the owner contact for the tenancy packet and inspection access. For incoming portability, Riverside’s current instructions require sufficient voucher time and give a processing estimate rather than a promised completion date. Ask the issuer to confirm the transfer and any necessary extension before committing to a move.
Official local documents
Guidance by VoucherMatch Editorial Team. Sources reviewed September 27, 2026. Listing availability is checked separately. Confirm changing services with the linked provider. Report a correction and include this page’s address.
From a shortlist to an approved Riverside apartment
Keep Riverside and San Bernardino candidates separate by administrator and program. Compare actual rent, utility terms, availability, accessibility and travel needs. A named property’s application process is different from shopping with an issued tenant-based voucher.
1. Check screening requirements before a fee
Ask for the written criteria and identify the tenant’s portion of rent for any income screen. California law provides an alternative-evidence option in place of credit history for recipients of government rent subsidies. Retain the criteria and response if a question arises, while separately tracking agency eligibility and tenancy review.
2. Confirm the utility worksheet category
Ask for the building type, heating and hot-water fuel, service responsibilities and appliance arrangement. Have the authority confirm whether the standard or energy-efficient worksheet applies. A renovation claim in an advertisement does not establish the program category. Request a new calculation if the terms change.
3. Allow for portability and unit approval
Start with the issuing agency and use Riverside’s receiving instructions if it will administer the move. Its current page gives a processing estimate and requires enough remaining voucher time. Keep packet receipt, intake, unit submission and inspection separate, and obtain the approved start sequence before moving in.
Questions to resolve while comparing units
- Can I use Riverside’s table for a San Bernardino unit?
- Confirm the responsible administrator. HACSB has separate program policies and documents; a shared metro label does not make Riverside’s schedule transferable.
- Does “energy efficient” in the listing select the utility schedule?
- No. Ask the agency to confirm the category using the actual building information and program requirements.
- Does a RentCafe account prove I joined a property list?
- No. Complete the application for the actual available named community and retain its confirmation. Check the current official instructions because Riverside’s page contains both limited-community guidance and an older closure notice.
Compare two rental offers in Riverside
Copy or print this sheet for a viewing. Record the owner’s written terms for each unit, then take the completed comparison to your housing worker. Blank entries mean information to collect, not zero cost.
| Information to collect | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Address, unit and owner contact | To collect | To collect |
| Bedrooms, entrance and access needs | To collect | To collect |
| Proposed monthly rent | To collect | To collect |
| Utilities paid by renter; heating system | To collect | To collect |
| Required fees and optional charges | To collect | To collect |
| Deposit and other move-in costs | To collect | To collect |
| Trip to work, services and viewings | To collect | To collect |
| Agency, voucher deadline and next step | To collect | To collect |
The advertised rent and utility bills are not your final tenant share. Ask your administering agency to review its payment standard, utility allowance, rent reasonableness and inspection requirements for the actual unit.
Worksheet: VoucherMatch, October 16, 2026. Based on HUD’s tenant search and tenancy-approval guidance. Use your agency’s official forms to submit a unit; this sheet is a preparation aid.
Suggested citation: VoucherMatch Editorial Team. Rental offer comparison worksheet. October 16, 2026. vouchermatch.com/section-8-apartments.
Browse by neighborhood
13 neighborhoods- Section 8 apartments in Downtown Riverside
- Section 8 apartments in Eastside
- Section 8 apartments in Northside
- Section 8 apartments in Wood Streets
- Section 8 apartments in Magnolia Center
- Section 8 apartments in Casa Blanca
- Section 8 apartments in Arlington
- Section 8 apartments in Arlanza
- Section 8 apartments in La Sierra
- Section 8 apartments in University / UCR
- Section 8 apartments in Canyon Crest
- Section 8 apartments in Mission Grove
- Section 8 apartments in Orangecrest
Browse by ZIP code
7 ZIP codesCompare ZIP-level HUD rent benchmarks across Riverside, then confirm the applicable payment standard with your housing authority.
Browse by bedroom count
Own property in Riverside? List free.
Reach households searching with Section 8. The administering agency determines the approved rent and assistance payment for each household and unit. List it free today — post the unit, receive applications, and message voucher tenants directly.
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More housing help in Riverside
- Housing authorities in California, phone numbers, addresses and programs
- Open Section 8 waiting lists nationwide
- Listings from landlords in Riverside who accept vouchers