Fair Market Rent/Voucher Payment Standards

As of 01/01/11

Fair Market Rents

Fair Market Rents include the cost of utilities. Rental amounts on the Section 8 Program are not determined by above chart but rather the "reasonableness" of the rent requested. The SMHA must compare all proposed units for the program to similar units in the same neighborhood of the proposed unit. Location, condition and amenities are the primary factors when performing this evaluation. For example, if 3BR apartments in the 12307 zip code are receiving between $550 and $650 depending on their condition and amenities, an owner requesting $800 for rent (even though it might fall in the FMR range) would not be approved for the program because the rent would not be 'reasonable' for that area.

The SMHA has a database which contains over 500 private market rentals within the city of Schenectady. These are apartments in which the occupants pay all of their rent without any type of subsidy. This database is being added to on a weekly basis and the SMHA greatly appreciates any owners who are willing to complete this survey for any rental properties they have in the city where the occupants pay their own rent without subsidy. Contact Paul Feldman at
518-386-7025 to receive a copy of the survey form.