24 C.F.R. § 983.301
§ 983.301 Determining the rent to owner. (24 CFR Part 983)
Operative Text
(a) Initial and redetermined rents. (1) The amount of the initial and redetermined rent to owner is determined in accordance with this section and § 983.302. (2) The amount of the initial rent to owner is established at the beginning of the HAP contract term. For rehabilitated or newly constructed housing, the Agreement states the estimated amount of the initial rent to owner, but the actual amount of the initial rent to owner is established at the beginning of the HAP contract term. (3) The rent to owner is also redetermined in accordance with § 983.302. (b) Amount of rent to owner. Except for certain tax credit units as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the rent to owner must not exceed the lowest of: (1) An amount determined by the PHA in accordance with the Administrative Plan not to exceed 110 percent of the applicable fair market rent (or the amount of any applicable exception payment standard) for the unit bedroom size minus any utility allowance; (2) The reasonable rent; or (3) The rent requested by the owner. (c) Rent to owner for certain tax credit units. (1) This paragraph (c) applies if: (i) A contract unit receives a low-income housing tax credit under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (see 26 U.S.C. 42); (ii) The contract unit is not located in a qualified census tract; (iii) In the same building, there are comparable tax credit units of the same unit bedroom size as the contract unit and the comparable tax credit units do not have any form of rental assistance other than the tax credit; and (iv) The tax credit rent exceeds the applicable fair market rental (or any exception payment standard) as determined in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section. (2) In the case of a contract unit described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the rent to owner must not exceed the lowest of: (i) An amount determined by the PHA in accordance with the Administrative Plan, not to exceed the tax credit rent minus any utility allowance; (ii) The reasonable rent; or (iii) The rent requested by the owner. (3) The “tax credit rent” is the rent charged for comparable units of the same bedroom size in the building that also receive the low-income housing tax credit but do not have any additional rental assistance (e.g., additional assistance such as tenant-based voucher assistance). (4) A “qualified census tract” is any census tract (or equivalent geographic area defined by the Bureau of the Census) in which: (i) At least 50 percent of households have an income of less than 60 percent of Area Median Gross Income (AMGI); or (ii) Where the poverty rate is at least 25 percent and where the census tract is designated as a qualified census tract by HUD. (d) Rent to owner for other tax credit units. Except in the case of a tax-credit unit described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the rent to owner for all other tax credit units may be determined by the PHA pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section. (e) Reasonable rent. The PHA shall determine the reasonable rent in accordance with § 983.303. The rent to the owner for each contract unit may at no time exceed the reasonable rent, except in cases where, the PHA has elected within the HAP contract not to reduce rents below the initial rent to owner and, upon redetermination of the rent to owner, the reasonable rent would result in a rent below the initial rent. If the PHA has not elected within the HAP contract to establish the initial rent to owner as the rent floor, the rent to owner shall not at any time exceed the reasonable rent. (f) Use of FMRs and utility allowance schedule in determining the amount of rent to owner. (1) When determining the initial rent to owner, the PHA shall use the most recently published FMR in effect and the utility allowance schedule in effect at execution of the HAP contract. At its discretion, the PHA may use the amounts in effect at any time during the 30-day period immediately before the beginning date of the HAP contract. (2) When redetermining the rent to owner, the PHA shall use the most recently published FMR and the PHA utility allowance schedule in effect at the time of redetermination. At its discretion, the PHA may use the amounts in effect at any time during the 30-day period immediately before the redetermination date. (3)(i) For PBV projects that are not located in a designated SAFMR area under 24 CFR 888.113(c)(1), or for PBV projects not located in a ZIP code where the PHA has opted in under 24 CFR 888.113(c)(3), any exception payment standard amount approved under 24 CFR 982.503(d)(2)-(4) applies for purposes of paragraphs (b)(1) and (c)(1)(iv) of this section. HUD will not approve a different payment standard amount for use in the PBV program. (ii) For PBV projects that are located in a designated SAFMR area under 24 CFR 888.113(c)(1), or for PBV projects located in a ZIP code where the PHA has opted in under 24 CFR 888.113(c)(3), an exception payment standard amount approved under 24 CFR 982.503(d)(3)-(4) will apply for purposes of paragraphs (b)(1) and (c)(1)(iv) of this section only if the PHA has adopted a policy applying SAFMRs to its PBV program and met all other requirements in accordance with 24 CFR 888.113(h). (4) HUD may establish a process allowing PHAs to adopt project-specific utility allowances by notification in the Federal Register subject to public comment. Absent the establishment of such a project-specific utility allowance, the PHA's utility allowance schedule as determined under 24 CFR 982.517(b)(2)(i) or (ii) applies to both the tenant-based and PBV programs. (5) The PHA must continue to use the applicable utility allowance schedule for the purpose of determining the initial rent to owner and redetermining the rent to owner for contract units, as outlined in this 24 CFR 983.301, regardless of whether the PHA approves a higher utility allowance as a reasonable accommodation for a person with disabilities living in a contract unit (see 24 CFR 982.517(e)). (g) PHA-owned units. For PHA-owned PBV units, the initial rent to owner and the annual redetermination of rent at the annual anniversary of the HAP contract must be determined by the independent entity approved by HUD in accordance with § 983.57. The PHA must use the rent to owner established by the independent entity.
Under 24 CFR Part 983 § 983.301, the amount a property owner can receive through a Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract is capped at the lowest of three figures: a PHA-determined amount tied to fair market rents (generally no more than 110 percent of the applicable FMR minus any utility allowance), the independently established reasonable rent, or the rent the owner actually requests. Special rules apply to certain low-income housing tax credit units outside qualified census tracts, where the cap is instead tied to the tax credit rent charged for comparable unassisted units in the same building. Rents are set at the start of the HAP contract and can be redetermined over time using current FMR and utility allowance data, with PHA-owned units subject to review by an independent entity approved by HUD.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators participating in the PBV program under § 983.301 generally ensure that the rent they request does not exceed the lowest of the PHA-calculated ceiling, the reasonable rent determination, or their own requested amount — since the rule automatically applies whichever figure is lowest. For properties that include low-income housing tax credit units outside a qualified census tract, compliant operators are aware that a separate rent ceiling tied to the tax credit rent for comparable unassisted units in the same building may apply instead of the standard FMR-based cap. PHA-owned PBV units require an HUD-approved independent entity to establish the initial rent and conduct annual redeterminations, so operators in that category work with that entity rather than setting rents unilaterally.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 983.301, tenants living in PBV-assisted units have a regulatory assurance that the rent paid to the owner through the HAP contract is subject to a ceiling — it cannot exceed the lowest of the fair-market-based limit, the reasonable rent, or the owner's requested amount, which is intended to keep subsidy payments in check. Tenants in buildings that also contain low-income housing tax credit units may be in a property where a different, potentially lower cap applies, depending on the building's location and unit mix. If a tenant believes the rent to owner has been set improperly, general enforcement paths include raising the issue with the local Public Housing Authority, consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with PBV rules, or reviewing the HAP contract terms through the PHA's administrative process.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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