3x the Rent Rule and Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers

[Tynan Dill]

How should I apply this rule to prospective Housing Choice/Section 8 applicants, or should I even apply it ?

I've seen a mixed group of advice on this topic. Some say they apply it as they would anyone else, some say reduce the standard to 1x or 2x the rent, some say they simply don't apply it to voucher holders...

And some say they only apply it to the tenants portion of the rent they pay out of pocket...Example, say the tenants voucher portion of the rent they pay out of pocket is $50, so they only need to show income of $150 to meet the 3x the rent standard as a voucher holder.

A lot of grey area about how this should be handled, how do you guys handle it ? I honestly feel as if I shouldn't because if a voucher holder was making 3x the rent, they wouldn't meet the income limits eligibility requirements to even obtain a housing choice/section 8 voucher. Especially with the recent source of income discrimination laws popping up everywhere, I can see it being a fair housing discrimination violation issue and could cause costly problems for a landlord or property manager.

What are your thoughts, opinions, or advice on how this situation should be handled correctly ?