What are housing right for section 8 participants?

Answer 1

Your rights as a tenant are basically no different when you are on section 8 than a regular tenant who pays his rent on time. But there are safeguards in place that you can access should your landlord violate your tenant rights. One notable example of this is that if an essential repair is not made by the landlord, the Housing Authority will suspend or terminate any payments until that repair is made. In some cases, if a landlord violates some of your rights as a tenant he could not only lose the ability to receive your voucher payments but his ability to receive section 8 payments for other tenants and future tenants could be jeopardized.

Your rent may not be any different because you're on section 8 than the rent of any one who is not on section 8.

Another one of your rights that is notable is that even if the state you're living in allows it, your landlord may not effect you except by judicial actions.

On the other hand, the section 8 program also protects the landlord. For example, regardless of what your rent amount is, your landlord can still commence eviction proceedings if you don't pay your rent on time or otherwise violate your terms of the lease. He can charge you the same late fees he can charge any other tenant if the rent is not paid on time, even if the Housing Authority makes its payments on time (however, if the Housing Authority does not make its payment on time then you can not be charged late fees). And if the landlord begins eviction proceedings against you for nonpayment of rent, or for any other reason, the Housing Authority will continue to pay the landlord its portion of the rent until the proceedings are complete. If the proceedings are found in favor of the landlord you not only face eviction, but you are barred from the program for at least five years.

Finally, the local Housing Authority may impose moratoriums against rent increases when it cannot afford to support such.