Housing Vouchers and Income-Based Subsidies: What Maryland Landlords Can and Cannot Do

Can a Maryland landlord refuse a renter who uses a housing voucher?

Not because of the voucher. A housing voucher is a lawful source of rent in Maryland, and a new state law limits how you may screen an applicant who pays with one. The law is Senate Bill 335 and House Bill 315, passed in 2026 as Chapters 773 and 772. It took effect on October 1, 2026.

Real Property Management Gold follows the same line. Its published fair housing statement says it does not discriminate based on “source of income,” along with the other protected groups. This guide explains what the law says, how the program works for an owner, and where to contact the housing authorities in the four counties the firm serves.

What does the 2026 Maryland law say?

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) summarizes it this way. When a prospective tenant will pay rent with assistance from an income-based housing subsidy, a housing provider generally may not refuse to rent to the applicant based on:

• The applicant’s income.
• The applicant’s credit score or lack of a credit score.
• Adverse credit history that occurred when the applicant did not have the subsidy.

The statute (State Government 20-705.1) applies to a landlord “of residential rental property that uses financial information, including credit history, as part of a prospective tenant’s rental application.” It defines an income-based housing subsidy as recurring monetary help to a landlord from a governmental or nonprofit entity that defrays part of a tenant’s rent. It says the term includes “low-income housing assistance certificates and vouchers issued under the United States Housing Act of 1937.”

A violation is a discriminatory housing practice. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights enforces it.

What can I still do when I screen?

The law keeps your right to screen on facts that apply to everyone. According to DHCD and the statute, you may:

1. Verify income for the tenant’s share. You may confirm the tenant has enough income to pay the part of rent and utilities that the subsidy does not cover. The ratio must be “substantially equivalent” to the ratio you use for tenants without a subsidy.
2. Use landlord references. A commercially reasonable, nondiscriminatory reference from a previous or current landlord is allowed.
3. Use rental history. You may consider a history of violating a lease, failing to pay utilities, creating a nuisance or damaging property.

Two more points come from the statute. You may not require a housing authority to verify subsidy dates when you assess credit history. The period before the subsidy can be confirmed by the applicant, by voucher paperwork, by documents from a housing authority, or by an authority responding to your request.

Write your screening standards down and apply them to every applicant in the same way. Our tenant screening guide describes a consistent process. See also the Fair Housing Act glossary entry. Federal and Maryland fair housing laws apply to every step, from advertising to lease signing.

How does the Housing Choice Voucher program work for an owner?

HUD describes the program in one line: “housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs),” and “the tenant, landlord and PHA all have obligations and responsibilities.” The housing choice voucher entry gives a short definition.

The steps are the same in each county, with local details. Charles County’s page gives a clear description:

1. A household receives a voucher and has 60 days to find a home.
2. The household submits a Request for Tenancy Approval.
3. The authority reviews the request and inspects the unit “to ensure that the unit meets HUD Housing Quality Standards (decent, safe and sanitary) and meets rent reasonableness.”
4. Contracts are signed, including a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract between the authority and the owner.
5. “The Housing Authority will make monthly Housing Assistance Payments directly to the landlord.”

Prince George’s County explains the math. Its authority “pays the owner the difference between 30% of adjusted family income and a PHA-determined payment standard or the gross rent for the unit, whichever is lower.” The tenant pays the rest. Because the tenant’s share depends on household income, it can change during the tenancy. The authority tells the tenant and the owner when it does. Charles County also warns that a mid-month move-in can delay the first payment, because the authority issues payments monthly.

How is a voucher home inspected?

Before a tenancy starts, the authority inspects the home. After that, HUD’s flowcharts describe a recurring inspection that is “biennial (or triennial for some small rural agencies).” HUD also notes a change: “NSPIRE Standards are replacing HQS,” meaning the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate are replacing Housing Quality Standards. Ask your authority which standard it uses today.

Treat the inspection as a rent-ready review. A home that is clean, safe and working passes more easily. Our rent ready guide lists the items to check. For a home built before 1978, see our lead paint compliance page for the Maryland registration rules.

Where are the housing authorities in Southern Maryland?

Each county runs its own program. Waiting lists open and close, so check each page before you give a tenant advice. All details below are as of October 2026.

Waiting lists change often. Call the authority before you list a home with it, and ask about its owner process.

How do HUD Fair Market Rents relate to voucher rent?

HUD’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) is a federal benchmark. HUD says FMRs “are used to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program.” An FMR is not an estimate of what a specific home will rent for. It is a limit that helps the authority set the payment standard, and the authority also tests each rent for reasonableness against similar homes.

Here are HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents for St. Mary’s County, with one ZIP-level example from Charles County. HUD uses county figures in St. Mary’s and ZIP-level “Small Area” figures in the Washington area that includes Charles and Prince George’s counties.

The two Waldorf ZIPs sit side by side and still differ. That is why a benchmark cannot replace a local review of your own home. Request a free assessment for a rent number based on current local listings. The RentCheck page is another place to start. See the market rent entry for the difference between a benchmark and a market estimate.

Is a voucher tenant a good fit for my rental?

The question is whether the applicant meets the standards you apply to everyone: references, rental history, ability to pay the tenant’s share, and a safe, clean home. A voucher changes how part of the rent is paid. It does not change those standards.

These features of the program come from HUD and the county pages above:

• A government agency pays its share directly to you each month.
• A professional inspection checks the home at the start and about every two years.
• The authority tests the rent against similar unassisted homes in the area.
• The tenant’s share is set by income and can change, so the authority will notify you.

Plan for the other side too. A mid-month move-in can delay the first payment. The inspection can flag items you would otherwise have left alone. The HAP paperwork adds steps.

What should I do now as an owner?

1. Update your screening checklist. Write down your income ratio, your reference rules and your rental history rules. Use the same ones for every applicant.
2. Remove advertising that excludes voucher holders. Maryland treats a housing subsidy as a lawful source of rent. Describe the home and its terms instead.
3. Contact your county authority. Ask for the owner packet, the inspection standard in use and the payment standard for your bedroom count.
4. Walk the home against the checklist. Fix small items before the inspection.
5. Get legal advice for edge cases. The statute has exceptions, including for properties funded by programs that require income qualification. Talk to a Maryland attorney.

For the wider legal picture, see Maryland landlord-tenant law. If you want a manager to handle screening, paperwork and inspections, review the property management services and the fee schedule.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked official source or talk to a Maryland attorney.

Next step

Want an experienced manager to screen applicants consistently and handle the paperwork? Request a free assessment at /contact-us or call (301) 392-2172.