Renting with a housing voucher in South Florida

How the money works

With a voucher, you generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the program pays the rest straight to the landlord, up to a limit called the payment standard. HUD says your share can go as high as 40% of adjusted income, and when you first lease a home it can't be more than that.

What Fair Market Rent means

Each year HUD sets a Fair Market Rent for every area and home size. It's HUD's estimate of what a standard-quality home rents for, counting rent plus utilities, at the 40th percentile. That means about 40% of similar homes rent for less, and 60% rent for more.

Housing authorities set their payment standards between 90% and 110% of Fair Market Rent. HUD also publishes Fair Market Rents ZIP code by ZIP code, called Small Area Fair Market Rents, which let a voucher go further in higher-rent neighborhoods where an authority uses them. Ask yours which it follows.

See Fair Market Rents for every ZIP code in South Florida, by bedroom count.

The South Florida housing authorities

• Miami-Dade: the county's Department of Housing and Community Development runs the voucher program and says it serves more than 19,000 households through it.
• Broward: the Broward County Housing Authority says it serves more than 12,000 Broward residents. Its site said no waiting list was open as of October 2026.
• Cities with their own authorities: Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and others run their own programs. HUD keeps a contact list for every housing authority.

Waiting lists open and close. When Miami-Dade reopened its list in 2024, it picked 5,000 confirmation numbers by random selection. Sign up for alerts on each authority's site, and apply to every list you're eligible for.

Before you search

• Ask your housing authority for your voucher size (the number of bedrooms) and the payment standard in the ZIP codes you want.
• Ask which utilities count toward the limit. A home with water included can fit where a cheaper home without it does not.
• Note your voucher's expiration date. Vouchers expire if you don't lease up in time, so ask how to request an extension.

After you find a home

1. 1

   Step 1: The landlord agrees

   You and the landlord fill out the request for tenancy approval from your housing authority.

2. 2

   Step 2: Rent check

   The housing authority checks that the rent is reasonable compared with similar homes nearby.

3. 3

   Step 3: Inspection

   The home must meet health and safety standards, like working plumbing and electrical systems, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and working appliances.

4. 4

   Step 4: Contracts signed

   You sign the lease. The landlord and the housing authority sign their contract, and the program's share goes to the landlord each month.

What to ask the landlord

• Do you accept Housing Choice Vouchers?
• Have you rented to a voucher holder before, and are you open to the housing authority's paperwork?
• Which utilities are included in the rent?
• Is it a condo, and does the association need to approve me too?
• When could the home be ready for inspection?

Moving with your voucher

Vouchers can usually move with you if you tell your housing authority first. If you lived in the issuing authority's area when you applied, you can choose a home anywhere in the country. If not, you may have to lease in that area for the first 12 months.

Email hello@rentvana.com with your voucher size and the areas you want, and a licensed agent can help you look for homes in your range.