How to keep your Section 8 voucher: tenant obligations and what can get you removed

Last updated June 23, 2026

Getting a Housing Choice Voucher can take years. Losing one can happen much faster. Once you have a voucher and are in a unit, you have ongoing responsibilities to your housing authority and your landlord. Meeting those responsibilities is what keeps your voucher active.

This article covers the main obligations voucher holders have, the most common reasons people lose their vouchers, and what to do if your housing authority says your assistance is being terminated.

Report income and household changes promptly

One of your most important obligations is telling your housing authority when things change. This includes:

Changes in income. If anyone in your household gets a new job, gets a raise, starts receiving new benefits, or loses income, you need to report it. Most housing authorities require you to report income increases within 10 to 30 days — check your housing authority's specific rules. If you underreport income, even accidentally, it can be treated as fraud.

Changes in household members. If someone moves into your unit — a partner, a family member, a new baby — you must get approval from your housing authority before they move in. Unauthorized occupants are one of the most common reasons people lose their vouchers. If someone moves out, report that too.

Changes in contact information. Keep your address, phone number, and email updated with your housing authority. Missing a recertification notice because you moved and didn't update your contact information is your responsibility, not theirs.

Your housing authority adjusts your subsidy based on your reported household size and income. Keeping them informed keeps your payment accurate and keeps you in compliance.

Complete your annual recertification

Every year, your housing authority will ask you to recertify — to verify your income, household composition, and continued eligibility. This typically involves submitting documents (pay stubs, benefit letters, bank statements) and in some cases attending an in-person or virtual appointment.

Missing your recertification can result in your assistance being terminated, even if you did nothing else wrong. When your housing authority contacts you about recertification, respond immediately and meet every deadline. See Section 8 annual recertification for the full process.

Keep your unit in good condition

You are responsible for keeping the unit clean and in a condition that meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards. The distinction that matters: normal wear and tear is the landlord's responsibility; damage caused by you, your household, or your guests is yours.

Practical obligations:

Keep the unit clean and free of conditions that could cause a failed inspection (pest infestations, trash buildup, blocked exits)
Fix things you or your household broke — a stove burner you damaged, a door you broke, a window you cracked
Keep smoke detectors working (do not remove batteries)
Do not make alterations to the unit without your landlord's permission

Your unit will be inspected at least annually by your housing authority. If the inspection turns up damage you caused and you do not fix it, the housing authority can begin termination proceedings.

Do not sublet or share your voucher

Your voucher is for you and your approved household members. You cannot:

Sublet your unit to someone else
Allow someone to live there in exchange for money or any other benefit
Use your unit as anything other than your primary residence
Be absent from the unit for extended periods (most housing authorities require the unit to be your primary residence; extended absences can trigger a review)

If your housing authority discovers you have sublet your unit or are not actually living there, that is grounds for immediate termination of your assistance.

Only approved people can live in the unit

Everyone who lives in your unit must be approved by your housing authority and listed on your lease. "Guests" who stay for extended periods — typically 14 to 30 consecutive days, depending on your housing authority's rules — can be considered unauthorized occupants.

If you want someone to move in permanently, contact your housing authority first and request to add them to your household. Adding an occupant without approval is a violation even if the person is a family member.

Pay your portion of the rent

The housing authority pays the HAP portion of your rent directly to your landlord. You are responsible for paying your share — the portion that comes out of your income. Not paying your share of the rent is a lease violation, the same as it would be for any tenant.

If your financial situation changes and you are struggling to pay your share, contact your housing authority. Sometimes a reported income change can adjust your share. Do not simply stop paying and hope it resolves itself — an eviction for non-payment is a serious violation that can result in losing your voucher and make it harder to rent in the future.

Avoid criminal activity

Drug-related criminal activity and violent criminal activity are grounds for termination of your voucher. This applies to activity by you, other household members, or guests on or near your unit.

Federal law specifically requires housing authorities to terminate assistance if a household member is evicted from federally assisted housing due to drug-related criminal activity. Drug manufacturing and violent crime carry the most serious consequences.

If a household member is arrested or involved in criminal activity, contact your housing authority to understand your options. In some cases, removing the offending household member from your lease (similar to the VAWA bifurcation process) can protect your assistance.

Do not misrepresent your situation

Fraud — intentionally misrepresenting your income, household composition, or other information to receive more assistance than you are entitled to — can result in:

Termination of your voucher
Repayment of the amount you were overpaid
Criminal charges in serious cases

If you made an honest mistake on a recertification or failed to report something because you did not understand the requirement, explain that to your housing authority. Honest mistakes are handled differently than intentional fraud. But you need to address them — hiding an error makes it worse.

If your housing authority tries to terminate your assistance

If your housing authority sends you a notice of termination, you have the right to request an informal hearing to contest the decision. Request it in writing as soon as possible — the deadline is usually 10 to 30 days from the date of the notice.

At the hearing, you can:

Challenge the facts the housing authority is relying on
Present evidence that you were in compliance
Explain mitigating circumstances

Bring documentation. If you reported an income change and have a dated confirmation, bring it. If you were in the hospital during the recertification period and missed a deadline, bring medical records. Housing authorities have discretion to consider context at the hearing.

If you need help preparing for a hearing, contact a local legal aid office. Many offer free representation for housing authority hearings.

The short version

Keep your housing authority informed of changes. Complete recertification on time. Maintain your unit. Only let approved people live there. Pay your rent share. Avoid criminal activity. If something goes wrong, respond quickly and honestly — most situations that can be fixed are fixable faster when you address them directly rather than hoping they go away.

Your voucher is one of the most valuable housing benefits available. The rules that govern it are not complicated, but they require attention.