Screening
Housing Choice Voucher
A Housing Choice Voucher, often called Section 8, is a federal rental subsidy that helps a low-income household pay rent to a private landlord.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, helps low-income families, elderly persons, veterans and disabled individuals afford housing in the private market. Participants can choose any eligible home, including single-family homes and townhouses, with part of the rent covered by a subsidy paid directly to the landlord.
HUD explains the money this way: the local housing agency calculates the family's share, and it pays a housing assistance payment, the difference between a payment standard and the family's share, straight to the landlord. The tenant pays the rest.
In Maryland, source of income is a protected category. The state's Tenants' Bill of Rights lists it among things landlords may not discriminate on, so a lawful voucher counts as income. Screen every applicant with the same written standards under the Fair Housing Act. See our guide on housing vouchers for Maryland landlords, and the Tenants' Bill of Rights.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked official source or talk to a Maryland attorney.
Related terms
Sources
Ask what your home could rent for. Free.
A free rental assessment from our offices in Lexington Park and Waldorf. No cost, no contract, no pressure.