The payment standard is the maximum amount the housing program can contribute toward rent and utilities. It’s not a guarantee of what the rent will be, just a cap on what the program will pay. The actual rent for a unit is determined through something called a rent reasonableness study. This means the Housing Authority will compare your unit to similar apartments in the same area — looking at things like: -Square footage -Number of bedrooms -Amenities (like a yard, parking, washer/dryer, etc.) -Location and neighborhood quality -Overall condition of the unit This helps ensure the rent being charged is fair and comparable to what other non-voucher tenants are paying for similar units. It is against federal law to charge someone with a housing voucher more rent than a tenant who is not using a voucher. Landlords must offer the same rent terms to voucher holders as they would to anyone else.