Find the right application and voucher help
Use the researched agency guides for program-specific notices, official application routes, existing-case help and adopted rent schedules. A HUD rent benchmark or a rental listing does not establish an application opening or agency approval.
Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
HUD rent benchmarks for FY2027, effective October 1, 2026. These are not adopted housing-authority payment standards or household subsidy amounts. The illustration shows 90% to 110% of FMR; ZIP-based schedules, approved exceptions and Moving to Work rules can differ.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Illustration: 90% to 110% of FMR |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,458 | $2,212 to $2,704 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,778 | $2,500 to $3,056 |
| 2-bedroom | $3,272 | $2,945 to $3,599 |
| 3-bedroom | $4,396 | $3,956 to $4,836 |
| 4-bedroom | $4,688 | $4,219 to $5,157 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for San Jose is $3,272. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $2,945 to $3,599, not an approval range. Gross rent includes the applicable allowance for tenant-paid utilities. Your agency must calculate assistance using its adopted standard, your household and the proposed unit.
What changed from FY2026 to FY2027 in San Jose
HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rent for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro fell from $3,483 in FY2026 to $3,272 in FY2027, a change of -$211 a month (-6.1%). FY2027 figures took effect on October 1, 2026.
| Bedrooms | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,621 | $2,458 | -$163 (-6.2%) |
| 1-bedroom | $2,982 | $2,778 | -$204 (-6.8%) |
| 2-bedroom | $3,483 | $3,272 | -$211 (-6.1%) |
| 3-bedroom | $4,602 | $4,396 | -$206 (-4.5%) |
| 4-bedroom | $5,010 | $4,688 | -$322 (-6.4%) |
The FMR is not what the voucher pays. Each housing authority sets its own payment standard. The basic range is 90% to 110% of the applicable FMR or SAFMR, with exceptions and Moving to Work policies that may differ. A HUD effective date is not a household rent-change notice. Confirm the adopted schedule and its application to your lease or reexamination with your agency.
Already renting with a voucher in San Jose? Under standard HCV rules, a lower payment standard does not cut your subsidy right away. Moving to Work agencies may use different policies. The housing authority may keep your current payment standard for as long as you stay in the same unit. If it decides to lower it, the reduction cannot start sooner than two years after the decrease takes effect, and only after it sends you the required notice (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3)). Families who are new to the program, or who move to a different unit, get the schedule in effect at that time.
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 and FY2027, huduser.gov.
Voucher demand in this metro
Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means most vouchers issued here are already placed in a unit, so landlords who accept vouchers fill vacancies from a deep, reliable applicant pool.
Housing authorities serving San Jose
2 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Apply with (or contact) the PHA that covers the specific address.
Santa Clara County Housing Authority
San Jose , CA · CA059 · 12,606 HCV units
Combined HCV interest lists: open at last checkProperty programs have their own lists. Find the relevant agency guide.
Source checked · Official notice
4082758770Housing Authority of the City of San Jose
San Jose , CA · CA056 · 6,791 HCV units
Combined HCV interest lists: open at last checkProperty programs have their own lists. Find the relevant agency guide.
Source checked · Official notice
4082758770
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in San Jose, CA?
No. California law prohibits landlords from refusing a renter because they pay with a Section 8 voucher. That protection applies in San Jose, CA. If you were turned away for having a voucher, that refusal may be illegal.
California FEHA source-of-income protection (SB 329 / Gov. Code 12955)
Statewide: landlords may not refuse Section 8/HCV vouchers as a source of income.
View statute →Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change, so verify current status before acting on a rejection or making a leasing decision.
Counties in the San Jose metro
County pages show the local voucher count, the housing authorities that serve it, and ZIP-level rent limits where HUD publishes them.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in San Jose?
- In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro, the FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $3,272 per month. For illustration, 90% to 110% of that benchmark is roughly $2,945 to $3,599. This is not an adopted payment standard or subsidy quote. ZIP schedules, approved exceptions and Moving to Work rules may differ. Gross rent includes the applicable allowance for tenant-paid utilities.
- What are the FY2027 Fair Market Rents in San Jose?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro, by bedroom size: studio $2,458, 1-bedroom $2,778, 2-bedroom $3,272, 3-bedroom $4,396, 4-bedroom $4,688. These are HUD benchmarks, not household subsidy amounts. Confirm whether your agency uses ZIP-based standards and which schedule applies to your unit.
- Did Section 8 rent limits change in San Jose for FY2027?
- The two-bedroom Fair Market Rent for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro went from $3,483 in FY2026 to $3,272 in FY2027, a decrease of $211 a month. FY2027 Fair Market Rents took effect on October 1, 2026. HUD's effective date does not automatically change a household's assistance. Ask your administering agency which adopted schedule and effective date apply to a new lease, move or reexamination.
- How do I apply for Section 8 in San Jose?
- Section 8 in San Jose is administered by Santa Clara County Housing Authority, Housing Authority of the City of San Jose. Each agency has its own application process, waiting lists and preferences. You may apply to more than one agency when eligible lists are open; a listing inquiry is not a voucher application. If you already have a voucher, confirm the receiving agency and any portability requirements for the proposed address.
Find Section 8 apartments in San Jose
VoucherMatch connects voucher holders with landlords who accept Section 8, and it is free for renters. The administering housing authority must approve the actual unit, rent and household assistance calculation.
Other Section 8 markets in CA
Rent limits from HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rent data. Investor running the numbers? The RentalCalcs voucher analyzer uses this same dataset.