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Will my rent go down if I lose my job or I cannot work as many hours because of COVID-19?

Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Reviewed August, 2021

If you live in public or subsidized housing then, yes. If your income goes down, your rent will also go down.  If you live in private housing without a subsidy your rent will not change unless your landlord agrees to lower it.

When will my rent go down?

It depends.  After you report the change your rent may go down:

  • The month after the date your income went down, or
  • The month after the date you report your income went down.

When you report your change of income, ask your management office about when you can expect your rent to go down.

Important

If you lose your job or you lose hours, call or email your management office and tell them.  Report the change right away, even if you do not have a letter or proof of the change yet.  

Also, apply for unemployment as soon as you can. See COVID-19 and Unemployment

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