Questions about renting

At a public housing agency. You don't need to live in its area to apply, but if you lived elsewhere when you applied, it may require you to live there for the first 12 months. HUD suggests applying to several lists because they are usually long.

When an agency opens its list it must publish a notice saying where and when to apply, in a local newspaper and through minority media. Check the agency's website and call; your county's Section 8 page lists the agencies based there.

It varies by agency, but HUD says they typically ask for pay stubs, bank information, paperwork for other benefits like SSI or SNAP, and proof of citizenship and Social Security cards for those who have them.

It depends on the agency. Among families with the same preference, the regulations allow selection by application date and time or by a drawing. Local preferences, such as working in the area or having a disability, are in each agency's administrative plan.

Yes, if you don't answer when the agency asks for information or don't report a change of address or phone. If a disability is why you didn't answer, the agency must restore your place.

Yes, if at least one member has citizenship or eligible immigration status. A member without it can choose not to contend status, in writing, and assistance is prorated. HUD proposed in February 2026 to make that temporary, but as of November 6, 2026 there is no final rule.

Usually yes: that is called portability. But if neither you nor your spouse lived in the agency's area when you applied, you don't have that right for the first 12 months unless the agency allows it or you are moving to protect yourself from domestic violence.

The notice is the first step, not the last. Your state's rules say how many days each kind of notice gives and what happens next; in general, the landlord has to file a lawsuit and a judge has to rule. Use those days to talk to the landlord, apply for assistance and call legal aid.

Yes, go. You have the right to file a written answer even without a lawyer, and to explain your situation to the judge; ask the clerk for the date, whether there is mediation and whether the court refers people to housing counselors. The CFPB warns that too many renters give up before they go to court, and in New York, for example, an eviction notice can still be sent if the tenant does not appear.

A federal rule in the CARES Act for 'covered dwellings': properties in federal housing programs (such as Section 8 or public housing) or with federally backed mortgages. There, the landlord cannot require you to leave before 30 days after the notice. A legal aid office can find out whether your home is covered.

The CFPB explains that your landlord cannot force you out by changing your locks without a court order. In New York, for example, only a sheriff, marshal or constable can carry out an eviction warrant. If it happens to you, call a free legal aid office today.

It depends on your state and your case. In New York, for example, in a non-payment case you can have the case dismissed if you pay all the rent owed before the warrant is carried out. The CFPB also describes repayment plans with the landlord. Ask the legal aid office how it works where you live.

Eviction court cases can appear on your tenant screening report for up to seven years, and many landlords will not rent if the report shows an eviction filing. Some states allow those records to be sealed. If the information is wrong, dispute it with the screening company and with the company that provided it.

There may be. The CFPB explains that emergency rental assistance is not just for back rent: some programs help with moving costs, the deposit and application fees for a new home. Many have closed, but some money may still be available: ask your local program or a housing counselor.

It depends on the state. In California, the law prohibits a landlord from asking about your immigration status or requiring you to state it, but allows them to request documents to verify your identity and ability to pay. Nationwide, the Fair Housing Act prohibits refusing to rent to you because of your national origin. If you think you were treated differently because of your origin, keep the messages and find free legal aid.

An ITIN is a number for federal taxes: the IRS says it does not serve as identification outside the tax system. Also bring photo ID, such as your passport or consular ID, and ask the landlord what they accept to check your history.

The federal reference is 30% of monthly income: above that, rent weighs; at 50% or more, it weighs a lot. With the typical US household income ($6,728 a month), that comes to $2,018. The how-much-rent calculator does it with your income.

According to the CFPB, many landlords use the tenant screening report to decide how much to charge for the deposit. If you are asked for a larger deposit than other applicants because of what a report says, that is an adverse action: they must give you the notice naming the company that made the report. How large the deposit can be is set by your state's law.

Deposit your money in an account so your bank statements show it: the federal rule lets a bank identify you with your ITIN, your passport or another official photo document. If you file taxes, you can ask the IRS for a transcript of your return, which keeps your financial data visible for income verification.

The CFPB mentions paying months of rent in advance as one of the conditions a landlord may set when your report has negative information. If you accept, ask for the lease to state how much you paid and for which months, and get a receipt for every payment. A housing counselor or a legal aid office can review it with you.

Ask the company that made it for a copy, review it and dispute what is wrong. The company generally has 30 days to investigate, and in some cases 45. The CFPB recommends checking your credit report before you apply, so you can fix errors in time.

Search the address online together with their name, check whether the property appears on the website of the company they claim to represent, and look up your city or county tax assessment records, which show whose name the property is in. Then ask to see their ID. If they make excuses about showing you the place, walk away.

Asking for money up front to hold a property you have not seen is one of the most common scams the FTC reports. See the home inside and verify the owner before you sign or pay, and get a receipt for every payment.

No. The FTC is clear: anyone who demands payment by gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or cash only is a scammer. Once that money is sent, you probably cannot get it back.

Not always, but it is a warning sign. The CFPB lists payment apps among the methods scammers use and recommends using them only with people you know and trust. If you already paid, call your bank or the app company right away and tell them there may have been an unauthorized transaction.

Call your bank or the payment company right away. Then report it to your local police, to the website where the ad appeared, to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the FBI at ic3.gov, and to your state attorney general. If you gave personal information, get your free credit reports and consider a fraud alert.

It can. The CFPB explains that landlords may pull your credit report as a hard inquiry, which could lower your scores, and that this matters if you send several applications. Ask how they check credit before you apply.

Ask for the adverse action notice: it must name the company that made the report. Request your free copy within 60 days and dispute the errors; the company generally has 30 days to investigate. If you think you were turned down because of your origin, your family or another protected reason, you can complain to HUD.

At the housing agency that runs public housing in your city or county. If you can't reach it, HUD says to call its local field office. The application is in writing; you or an agency representative fills it out.

Low-income families and single people, elderly people and people with disabilities. The agency looks at your annual gross income, the kind of family and the citizenship or eligible immigration status of whoever claims it, and checks your references as a tenant.

It depends on the agency. HUD says long waits are common and an agency may close its list when it has more families than it can help soon. If you qualify, the agency must give you the approximate date you could move in, if it can be determined.

The highest of 30% of your adjusted monthly income, 10% of your monthly income, welfare rent if applicable, or a minimum rent of $25 to $50 set by the agency. Once a year you can choose to pay a flat rent instead of the income-based rent.

Yes, if at least one member has citizenship or eligible status. A member without it can choose not to contend status, in writing, and the family pays a prorated rent. HUD proposed in 2026 to make that temporary; as of November 6, 2026 there is no final rule.

The agency must tell you why in writing. You can request an informal hearing; ask for it soon and in writing, and look for free legal aid if you disagree.

Treasury says the period of performance for the second round of emergency rental assistance (ERA2) has ended and the funds can no longer be used to help renters. What exists today are programs from states, counties and cities, each with its own funding and rules.

The CFPB says local programs are the best place to start: look for help in your city, county and state, ask at local government offices or call 211. On our page for your state's programs, the 'Rent help' section lists the ones we checked, with what each page says about being open.

It depends on the program, but they usually ask for a photo ID, proof of household income, your lease, the notice or eviction lawsuit, the landlord's letters showing what you owe and, in some programs, papers showing the crisis you went through.

The CFPB says it may take several weeks to receive the money. If you have a court date, don't wait: go to the hearing, tell the judge you applied for help and look for legal aid.

It depends on the program. Some say they don't require proof of citizenship, like Illinois's program for eviction cases; others say their funding may require verifying citizenship or status, like Maricopa County's. Ask before you apply, and if your question is about immigration, talk to an accredited representative.

It depends on the program. For example, New York City says you may be required to pay back some or all of its emergency assistance. Always ask before you sign.

A drawing to assign rent-restricted apartments. In New York, HPD says that after the deadline applications are selected for review through a lottery; late applications are not considered.

It depends on each building. HPD explains that affordable housing is based on a percentage of area median income (AMI) and your income must be within each opportunity's range. You can be left out for earning too little or too much.

An apartment in a building that received the federal low-income housing tax credit. The law requires some of its units to be rent-restricted and reserved for people with incomes below certain percentages of area median.

Not for having the voucher: the law prohibits refusing to lease to a Section 8 voucher holder because they hold one. You still have to meet the building's income limit and selection criteria.

You apply to NYC Housing Connect online or by mail, following the advertisement, and Housing Ambassadors help for free. If someone charges you to get into the lottery or to move you up, be wary. Some landlords charge an application fee once they review your case, according to HUD.

HUD has a locator for LIHTC properties. You can also ask your housing agency or your state's housing agency, and check your county's rent page.

In housing covered by VAWA, you cannot be evicted because you are a victim, and an incident of violence is not a serious lease violation. You also cannot lose your home just because of your abuser's criminal acts related to that violence. VAWA still allows eviction for other violations unrelated to the violence, as long as you are not held to a stricter standard than other tenants.

Sometimes none: the owner does not have to ask. If they do, the request must be in writing and give you at least 14 business days. You choose the document: Form HUD-5382, a statement signed by a professional who helped you, a police or court record or, if the owner allows it, your own statement. They can ask for more only if they receive conflicting information.

Only if you know it and it is safe to give. Form HUD-5382 says exactly that. It also asks for the safest way to contact you, so the owner does not leave messages where they could put you at risk.

Yes, you can request an emergency transfer if you reasonably believe you are in danger if you stay, or if you suffered a sexual assault on the property in the past 90 days. HUD says that if you have a Section 8 voucher, you must be allowed to move with your assistance. You can ask even if you owe rent, but a transfer is not guaranteed.

They must not. Everything you share about the violence is strictly confidential and does not go into any shared database. The emergency transfer plan must protect your new location, and Form HUD-5382 says the owner must keep your address strictly confidential.

No. Despite the name, HUD's regulation says it protects victims regardless of sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. You do not have to be married to, related to or living with the abuser, and it does not matter how long ago the violence happened.

According to Form HUD-5380, in Section 8 and public housing, if the person removed was the only one who had established eligible citizenship or immigration status, the others get 30 calendar days to establish eligibility or find other housing. If your family has mixed immigration status, get free legal help before that time runs out.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Justice Department also lists the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673, which connect you with services near you.

Not because of the sale alone. According to the Texas State Law Library, the new owner is bound by your lease, and if the lease does not say it ends with a sale, the owner generally cannot remove you or change it. Check your lease and your state's laws.

Under federal law, at least 90 days' notice to vacate. If you have a lease signed before the notice of foreclosure, you can generally stay until it ends, unless the home is sold to someone who will live in it. Your state may give you more.

Yes. The law was set to end in late 2014, but in 2018 Congress repealed that end date and restored it.

Yes. Federal law also requires the 90-day notice if you have no lease or one that can be ended at will, as long as you are a bona fide tenant.

Under the program law, whoever takes the property in the foreclosure takes it subject to your lease and to the payments contract with the housing agency. Tell your public housing agency.

It depends on your state. In Texas, after a sale the new owner is liable for the deposit and must give you a signed statement with the amount. In Florida, the deposit must pass to the new owner. In California, after a foreclosure the new owner must return it if the prior owner did not.

First confirm they are the legal owner: the California courts warn that scammers pose as owners. Ask for proof in writing and pay with a method that leaves a record.

A roommate lives with you and may or may not be on the lease. A subtenant occupies your home, or part of it, while you are away for a while and rents your place from you. In New York, subletting means leaving the apartment temporarily.

It is almost always wise to ask in writing, and it depends on your lease and your state. In Texas you may not sublet without the landlord's prior consent. In New York, if you are the only tenant, you may share with one additional occupant and their dependent children, and you must tell the landlord their name.

Whatever your lease and your state's law say. If you both signed the lease, many leases make each of you responsible for the whole rent. That is why a written agreement between you and paying each month with a receipt helps.

In New York, even with the landlord's permission, you remain responsible for the whole lease, including future rent. In most cases the lease with the landlord is still yours, so their late rent is your problem.

As a temporary guest, yes: HUD's rule gives you the right to reasonable accommodation of your guests. But you cannot sublet or take in paying boarders, and the unit is only for the household named in the lease.

Only with the housing authority's approval. HUD's rule says nobody but the approved family may live in the unit. If a child is born or adopted, just report it promptly; for anyone else, ask for approval.

If the rejection is based on a tenant screening report, the landlord must give an adverse action notice with the company's details. Your roommate can ask for a free copy within 60 days and dispute anything that is wrong.

Not under the ADA. The Justice Department says emotional support, therapy or companion animals are not service animals because they are not trained for a specific task. A dog trained to sense an anxiety attack and act to prevent it can be.

No. The ADA does not require certificates, and the Justice Department says documents sold online are not proof that a dog is a service animal. Your dog must still follow local vaccination and licensing rules.

Only two things: whether the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task it has been trained to perform. They cannot ask about your disability or require documents, and generally do not ask if the task is obvious.

In a state or local government program, such as a public housing authority, the ADA does not allow a surcharge for a service animal, even if people with pets are charged. You can be charged for damage if everyone is normally charged for damage.

No. HUD withdrew guidance FHEO 2020-01 and FHEO 2013-01, effective September 17, 2025, and says it should no longer be relied on as authoritative. The Fair Housing Act and HUD's reasonable accommodation regulation remain in effect.

Under the ADA, there is no breed restriction for service animals. In private housing, the question is decided under the Fair Housing Act; ask free legal aid for advice.

Keep everything in writing and get legal advice. You can file a complaint with HUD, and the law also lets you sue in federal or state court within two years.

It depends on where you live. On the private market, your city's or county's code enforcement office or health department. With a voucher or in public housing, your housing agency. In a HUD-assisted building, HUD's complaint line at (800) 685-8470.

Yes. HUD says always inform the landlord, and in New York the city asks you to contact the owner first before complaining to 311. Do it in writing and keep a copy.

In New York City, no: according to HPD, the owner is not told the inspection date. Other cities may differ; ask when you file.

It depends on your city and the problem. In New York, 90 days for non-hazardous violations, 30 for hazardous ones and 24 hours or immediately for the most serious. With a voucher, 24 hours if it is life-threatening and 30 days if not.

With a Section 8 voucher, the housing agency cannot charge you for the inspection or reinspection. For other inspections, ask your code office.

In several states, not as retaliation. In Texas, for example, the landlord cannot file to evict you, raise your rent or cut your services for six months after a good-faith complaint to the code office, except on grounds the law allows.

Get legal help today. The California Attorney General says it is very important to tell the lawyer or the court about the health or safety problems in your home.

It is a change, exception or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice or service that you need because of your disability to use your home like anyone else. For example, a reserved parking space near your door, or letting someone else mail your rent.

In a private rental, the Fair Housing Act says the landlord must allow the change and you pay for it. But if the housing receives federal financial assistance, Section 504 treats those changes as reasonable accommodations the provider pays for, unless the burden is undue or it can meet your need another way, such as a transfer.

In most cases they are not needed. If your disability and the need are obvious, the landlord cannot ask for more information. If they are not, it can ask for reliable information showing the disability, the accommodation and the link between them; often a credible statement from you or from a professional or agency that knows you is enough.

No. According to HUD and the Justice Department, you can ask orally or in writing, and the landlord must consider your request even if you do not use its form. Putting it in writing and keeping a copy helps prove what you asked for and when.

The HUD–Justice Department Joint Statement says they cannot charge extra fees or deposits as a condition of a reasonable accommodation, although they can charge for damage if they charge everyone. For a modification, the regulation bars raising your usual deposit, but the landlord may ask you to save gradually toward restoring the interior.

This has changed. HUD withdrew its assistance animal guidance in 2025 and, in May 2026, said it will find cause only in complaints about animals trained for disability-related tasks. The regulation still gives the guide dog example. The law did not change and you can sue in court; ask free legal aid for advice.

The landlord must respond promptly, and an undue delay can count as a denial. If you are denied, you can file a complaint with HUD no later than one year afterward, or sue in court no later than 2 years afterward.

If it was built before 1978, it may: EPA says about three-quarters of pre-1978 homes still have some. The way to know is an inspection or risk assessment by someone certified. Ask the seller or landlord whether they have reports.

The federal disclosure rule does not require testing or repairs; it requires the landlord to tell you what it knows and give you the pamphlet before you sign. But if you have a Section 8 voucher and your child under 6 has an elevated blood lead level, there are deadlines to investigate and fix. Your state may have more rules.

Yes, in writing. The rule gives you 10 days to inspect, or the period you agree on in writing, and you can waive it. If you have young children or are pregnant, think carefully before waiving it.

Follow your child's doctor and the health department. If you rent with a Section 8 voucher, tell your housing authority: under HUD's rule, an environmental investigation of the unit must be done within 15 days of the medical report.

Usually not. EPA says that if mold is visible, in most cases sampling is unnecessary, and that there are no federal limits for mold. What matters is cleaning it up and fixing the moisture source.

If the area is less than about 10 square feet, EPA says in most cases yes. Wear gloves and protection, do not paint over it and never mix bleach with products that contain ammonia. If it is larger or there was a lot of water damage, it needs more careful cleanup.

EPA says to tell your landlord, because nearby units should be inspected, and that landlords may have a responsibility to take part in treatment. Who pays depends on your lease and your state's law; ask legal aid if you cannot agree.

As soon as you can, ideally a month ahead. Read your lease to see how much notice it requires and what conditions it sets for returning the deposit. Give notice in writing and keep a dated copy.

Generally, normal wear and tear is not charged: HUD's public housing rules speak of charges for repairs beyond normal wear and tear, and in HUD multifamily housing the move-out condition is compared with the move-in condition. Your state's rules may be more specific.

In public housing, HUD's rule says the lease must let you take part, unless you leave without notice. In HUD multifamily housing, you should get prior notice and may accompany the owner. In private housing, it depends on your state: ask, and ask in writing.

It depends on your state; the table in this guide and the tenant rights tool show the deadline. In HUD-assisted multifamily housing, it is 30 days after move-out, or less if your state's law requires.

It can delay or complicate the refund. In HUD-assisted multifamily housing, to receive the deposit you must give an address or arrange to pick it up. Leaving it in writing when you return the keys protects you.

Your name, the rental's address, the date you moved out and returned the keys, your new address, the deposit amount, what you are asking for (the refund or the list of deductions) and a date to respond. Attach copies of your photos and keep a copy with the mailing date.

Ask in writing for an explanation of each charge and the receipts. If it is not resolved, look for your state's tenant agency, small claims court or free legal aid. If HUD insures or manages your building, you can also call its complaint line.