After you receive a housing voucher, you generally must browse through Section 8 housing lists in Indiana in order to find a property that will accept it. Finding landlords that accept vouchers can sometimes be a challenge, which makes IN Section 8 listings vital to your housing search.

However, there are plenty of landlords that place their properties on Section 8 housing lists because they want tenants from the program. These landlords may enjoy the fact that the government guarantees most of the pay, and may additionally believe that Section 8 tenants are better than other tenants because they want to keep their rental arrangement intact.

What is an approved Section 8 housing list in Indiana?

You may be able to find low-income apartments for rent in Indiana through official housing lists posted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the state or your local public housing authority (PHA). For example, you can browse through GoSection8’s active listings to find postings that have been uploaded by landlords and by PHAs.

The government offers a list of low-income apartments for rent that includes landlords who have worked with the Section 8 program in the past. This list generally includes vetted properties that meet HUD and PHA safety standards. This means applicants may have an easier time moving into the property right away.

These housing lists also include properties that fall into an acceptable price range. Not all properties available in an area qualify for a voucher. Section 8 vouchers should be used for properties that are modestly priced for an area. In other words, individuals with a voucher cannot use it to rent an upscale luxury apartment in an area where more affordable apartments are available.

Properties included on the Section 8 housing lists in Indiana will meet your PHA’s standards for acceptable pricing. This ensures that you will not encounter difficulty with the PHA when you attempt to select a property. Therefore, the easiest way to find housing with a voucher is to browse approved Section 8 housing lists.

Other Ways to Find Section 8 Listings in Indiana

Although HUD homes for rent in listings posted by the PHA are already pre-vetted, you are not limited to those properties. You can find unofficial housing lists online through a variety of websites that landlords can post on.

It is important to be cautious when browsing unofficial Section 8 housing lists. Properties listed on unofficial sites may already be rented out, which means they are no longer available. Details on the listing, such as the rental price, what is included and what the property looks like, may be out of date, which means the property may not be what you expect it to be.

Additionally, property listings may not meet the PHA and HUD standards for safety. In some cases, a property listed on the housing list may violate so many safety standards that it is difficult for a landlord to bring it up to code, resulting in the landlord turning down your voucher.

Finally, some Section 8 listings could be outright scams. The property may not exist, or the person who posted the listing may be hoping to get personal information from you in order to commit identity fraud.

It is important to never provide personal information before you confirm that a property is real and genuinely available. If a landlord asks you to pay rent or sign paperwork before you confirm the property is legitimately available and before contacting your PHA, it could be a scam.

You can download our comprehensive guide today to learn more about Section 8 housing lists.

Quality Standards for Section 8 Approved Housing in Indiana

With a voucher, you can only stay in Section 8-approved housing for rent. HUD sets housing standards for all PHAs in the country. There are 13 key standards that HUD considers when evaluating whether a particular property can qualify as Section 8 approved housing. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Functional sanitary facilities
• A hospitable thermal environment
• Secure structure and materials
• Acceptable illumination and access to electricity
• Acceptable interior air quality
• The presence of lead-based paints
• Acceptable access for individuals with disabilities

An inspector may examine everything from the doorways to the wiring to the garbage disposal in a property to ensure that it meets all HUD standards before a voucher holder can move in.

Additionally, inspectors will regularly re-inspect Section 8 rental listings once a tenant moves in to confirm that it remains up to code. If a tenant complains about a particular issue in the apartment, another inspection may occur.

Landlords must make any changes required to bring the property up to HUD standards before they can rent to Section 8 tenants. Additionally, if a problem is detected after a tenant moves in, the landlord must make repairs before the local PHA will resume paying rent.

Tips to Help You Find Low Income Apartments for Rent in Indiana

When searching through homes for rent that accept Section 8, it is important to be on your guard. This is particularly true if you are browsing through an unapproved list rather than an approved list.

Remember to never send your personal information or money to a landlord before seeing the listing and getting PHA approval. Additionally, you should always get PHA approval before signing a rental agreement in order to correctly use your voucher.

Additionally, keep in mind when browsing through apartments for rent that accept section 8 that you should search for reasonably-priced properties. If you select an expensive property when more affordable properties are available, your local PHA may not allow you to use your voucher.

You can try to find apartments for rent with apps you can download to your phone. However, it may be harder to find Section 8-friendly apartments through standard apartment apps. There are some Section 8-specific apps you can use, but their reliability can vary.