Section 8 in San Jose, CA: FMR & Landlord Guide
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (CBSA 41940). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.
Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90–110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,205 | $1,985 – $2,426 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,212 | $1,991 – $2,433 |
| 2-bedroom | $2,902 | $2,612 – $3,192 |
| 3-bedroom | $3,944 | $3,550 – $4,338 |
| 4-bedroom | $4,190 | $3,771 – $4,609 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in San Jose, CA covers up to $2,902 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $2,612–$3,192.
Voucher demand in this metro
Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.
Housing authorities serving San Jose, CA
2 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.
- Status unknown
Santa Clara County Housing Authority
San Jose, CA · CA059 · 12,606 HCV units
- Status unknown
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SAN JOSE
San Jose, CA · CA056 · 6,791 HCV units
Source-of-income law in CA
CA state law prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders on the basis of their source of income.
FEHA (SB 329) · view statute →
Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.
Analyze a specific San Jose, CA property
Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.