Payment Standards

KCHA's payment standards define the highest amount we will pay each month to help a voucher holder with rent and utilities. This amount depends both on the number of bedrooms in the home and where within King County the home is located.

In March of 2016 we put into place a new, zip-code based set of payment standards to better match the rental market in different parts of the county. Under this system our payment standards are higher in areas where rents are higher. For example, the standard for a home with 2 bedrooms in Burien is $1,820 per month, compared to $1,960 per month in Kent and $2,740 per month in most of Bellevue.

To find the payment standards for the area where you want to rent a home, choose its zip code from the list below and click Search. The listed amounts are effective August 1, 2022.

You can also view the full list of standards (PDF).

If you choose a home that rents at or below the payment standard, you will pay approximately 28 percent of your monthly income toward rent and utilities. If you choose a home that rents above the standard, you also pay the full amount for rent that exceeds the standard. During your first year in the program you may not move into a home where rent and utilities cost more than 40 percent of your monthly income.

To easily find out if the home you want to rent is affordable within the limits of the program and your income, use KCHA's subsidy calculator.