Section 8 apartments in Serra Mesa, San Diego
Serra Mesa is in the Clairemont Mesa area, primarily within ZIP code 92123. Compare HUD rent benchmarks below, then confirm the housing authority’s adopted standard and utility allowance for the actual unit.
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 Serra Mesa, San Diego
Active standalone listings recorded in San Diego, CA with the neighborhood label Serra Mesa. 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 Serra Mesa, San Diego. 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.
Planning a voucher search in Serra Mesa
A Serra Mesa rental comparison should include the actual entrance, parking and the full utility proposal. Ask which apartment is available when photos show several units or shared grounds. Keep the library on Aero Drive and recreation center on Village Glen Drive as separate destinations when testing daily trips.
Check Aero Drive library services and study space
Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library is at 9005 Aero Drive and lists public computers, a study room and outdoor patios. Confirm room arrangements before scheduling a document review, and check the branch’s current opening hours.
Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library: rooms and servicesAccount for the recreation center’s two levels
Serra Mesa Recreation Center at 9020 Village Glen Drive has sports fields on a lower level and the building and play area on an upper level. Check the approach to the facility you intend to use rather than assuming every activity shares one entrance.
Serra Mesa Recreation Center: upper and lower levelsQuestions about your Serra Mesa search
- Do photos of shared grounds establish what the unit includes?
- Ask which spaces residents of the offered unit may use and whether any charges or reservations apply. Keep those details separate from the apartment’s bedroom and utility information.
- Does a recreation center’s upper-level access describe the apartment’s access?
- No. Inspect the rental’s own route, steps and doors with the owner. Public facility information only helps plan trips to that destination.
Compare other San Diego searches
- Compare Kearny Mesa rentals
Compare another search around shared Aero Drive library resources.
- Compare Mission Valley rentals
Check valley-level travel routes and the complete monthly proposal.
San Diego rental checklist and official agency documents
Guidance by VoucherMatch Editorial Team. Sources reviewed October 13, 2026. Listing availability is checked separately. Confirm changing services with the linked provider. Report a correction and include this page’s address.
Compare two rental offers in Serra Mesa
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.
HUD rent benchmarks — ZIP 92123
Small-Area FMR · FY2027| Bedrooms | HUD benchmark / mo |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,790 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,970 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,590 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,760 |
| 4 bedrooms | $5,760 |
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 for these ZIP codes; confirm the rental address separately: 92123
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