Moving With a Section 8 Voucher (Portability): How It Works
Portability lets a family with a tenant-based voucher lease a unit outside the area of the PHA that issued it, anywhere in the United States where a PHA runs a voucher program. The family works with the initial PHA and the receiving PHA, and some limits apply, especially in the first year. State and local laws add their own rules; see the "Section 8 and eviction records" page for your state on this site.
What the law says
- An eligible family issued a voucher can lease a unit that meets program requirements anywhere in the United States, as long as a PHA running a tenant-based program has jurisdiction where the unit is located; this is called portability. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- The PHA that issued the voucher is the "initial PHA" and the PHA in the area the family moves to is the "receiving PHA." HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- With project-based vouchers the subsidy is tied to the unit; only after one year of assistance in a project-based unit may the family switch to a tenant-based voucher and use portability, with some restrictions. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- An applicant whose head of household or spouse lived in the PHA's jurisdiction when they applied must be allowed to port; non-resident applicants have no right to port for 12 months after admission, though a PHA may allow it. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- To start, the family contacts the initial PHA with the place it wants to move to, must notify the landlord before moving out and give proper notice under the lease, then promptly contact the receiving PHA and submit a request for tenancy approval during the receiving PHA's voucher term. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- A PHA must deny a move for applicants who are not income eligible in the receiving area and for families that moved out of their unit in violation of the lease, except as allowed (for example, under VAWA). HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- A PHA may deny a move under its policies, for example if the family owes the PHA money under a broken repayment agreement, moves within the initial lease term or more than once a year, or the PHA lacks funding; it may not limit moves only to the annual reexamination. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- A family may move in violation of the lease to protect someone who is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking, if it has met its other program obligations. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- The receiving PHA determines the voucher size under its own subsidy standards, and its voucher may not expire before 30 calendar days from the expiration date of the initial PHA's voucher. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- A receiving PHA may rescreen and refuse or terminate assistance under its own policies on the grounds in 24 CFR 982.552 or 982.553, but it may not delay issuing a voucher while rescreening. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Moves and Portability
- Moves are typically allowed if the family notifies the PHA ahead of time, ends its lease within the lease terms, and finds acceptable housing. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
FAQ
Can I move to another state with my Section 8 voucher?
Generally yes. A tenant-based voucher can be used anywhere in the U.S. where a PHA runs a voucher program, subject to the rules on timing and eligibility.
Do I have to stay in the area for a year first?
Only if you did not live in the PHA's jurisdiction when you applied. Non-resident applicants have no right to port for 12 months after admission, though the PHA may allow it.
Will my rent or voucher size change when I move?
It can. The receiving PHA uses its own subsidy standards and payment standards, and the initial PHA must explain how differences may affect your assistance.
Can I move during my first lease term?
A PHA may have a policy prohibiting moves during the initial lease term or more than once in a year, subject to exceptions such as VAWA and civil rights requirements.
What if my voucher expires while I am searching in the new area?
The receiving PHA's voucher may not expire before 30 days after the initial PHA's voucher expires, and either PHA may grant extensions under its policies.
Who do I contact to start a portability move?
Your current (initial) PHA. HUD advises consulting your current PHA about the procedure before moving to another PHA's area.
Related
- Do I Need a Lawyer for an Eviction?
- The Fair Housing Act: Your Rights Against Housing Discrimination
- How to Apply for Section 8: Eligibility, Waitlists and Income Limits
- Can a Section 8 Tenant Be Evicted? Rules and Notices
- Section 8 Income Limits Explained (2026)
- Section 8 Inspection: What Inspectors Check (NSPIRE)
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: Rules for Landlords
- Section 8 Payment Standards and Fair Market Rent Explained
- Can You Lose Your Section 8 Voucher? Reasons and Hearings
- What Are Squatters' Rights?
- What Is a Security Deposit?
- Landlord-Tenant Law by state
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.