24 C.F.R. § 81.19
Affordability—Rent level definitions—tenant income is not known.
Cite as 24 C.F.R. § 81.19 (2026)
For purposes of determining whether a rental unit is affordable to very-low-, low-, or moderate-income families where the income of the family in the dwelling unit is not known to the GSE, the affordability of the unit is determined based on unit size as follows:
(a)
For moderate-income,
maximum affordable rents to count as housing for moderate-income families shall not exceed the following percentages of area median income with adjustments, depending on unit size:
Unit size
Percentage of area median income
Efficiency
21
1 bedroom
22.5
2 bedrooms
27
3 bedrooms or more
(*)
*31.2% plus (3.6% multiplied by the number of bedrooms in excess of 3);
(b)
For low-income,
maximum affordable rents to count as housing for low-income families shall not exceed the following percentages of area median income with adjustments, depending on unit size:
Unit size
Percentage of area median income
Efficiency
16.8
1 bedroom
18
2 bedrooms
21.6
3 bedrooms or more
(*)
*24.96% plus (2.88% multiplied by the number of bedrooms in excess of 3); and
(c)
For very-low-income,
maximum affordable rents to count as housing for very-low-income families shall not exceed the following percentages of area median income with adjustments, depending on unit size:
Unit size
Percentage of area median income
Efficiency
12.6
1 bedroom
13.5
2 bedrooms
16.2
3 bedrooms or more
(*)
*18.72% plus (2.16% multiplied by the number of bedrooms in excess of 3).
(d)
For especially-low-income,
maximum affordable rents to count as housing for especially-low-income families shall not exceed the following percentages of area median income with adjustments, depending on unit size:
Unit size
Percentage of area median income
Efficiency
10.5
1 bedroom
11.25
2 bedrooms
13.5
3 bedrooms or more
(*)
* 15.6% plus (1.8% multiplied by the number of bedrooms in excess of 3).
(e)
Missing Information.
Each GSE shall make every effort to obtain the information necessary to make the calculations in this section. If a GSE makes such efforts but cannot obtain data on the number of bedrooms in particular units, in making the calculations on such units, the units shall be assumed to be efficiencies except as provided in § 81.15(e)(6)(i).
[60 FR 61888, Dec. 1, 1995, as amended at 65 FR 65089, Oct. 31, 2000]
- Cross-references to the CFR
- 81.15