Section 8 in Riverside, CA: FMR & Landlord Guide

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (CBSA 40140). 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.

2-bedroom FMR (FY2026)
$2,201
HUD
Active vouchers
22,201
86% utilized
Housing authorities
3
serving this metro
Source-of-income law
Protected
FEHA (SB 329)

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.

BedroomsFMRPayment standard (90–110%)
Efficiency (studio)$1,692$1,523 – $1,861
1-bedroom$1,777$1,599 – $1,955
2-bedroom$2,201$1,981 – $2,421
3-bedroom$2,912$2,621 – $3,203
4-bedroom$3,514$3,163 – $3,865

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Riverside, CA covers up to $2,201 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,981$2,421.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
22,201
Occupied
19,039
Utilization
86%

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 Riverside, CA

3 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.

  • Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino

    San Bernardino, CA · CA019 · 11,881 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Housing Authority of the County of Riverside

    Riverside, CA · CA027 · 10,267 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Needles Housing Authority

    Needles, CA · CA022 · 53 HCV units

    Status unknown

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 Riverside, 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.