Rent Relief: Fairfax County Grants for Low-Income Renters

Do you rent an apartment or house in Fairfax County? You may be eligible to receive a grant from the county to help offset the cost of rent.

The grant program is formally known as Tax Relief for Renters. Although renters don’t pay real estate property tax (that’s the responsibility of the property owner), this program helps offset the cost of taxes already priced into the monthly rent. The program is intended to assist renters whose monthly rent is more than 30% of their income, and the county is now accepting applications for 2019.

Are You Eligible for Rent Relief?

If you or someone you know meets these criteria, you may be eligible for Fairfax County rent relief if you resided in Fairfax County during 2018 and are:

• 65 years of age or older, or
• Permanently and totally disabled

If either of these apply to you, you’ve met the first test.

Do You Meet the Income and Asset Requirements?

If you are an eligible individual, then county looks at your income and assets to determine whether you qualify for relief.

Income Limits

Your 2018 gross income from all sources can’t exceed $22,000. When calculating your gross income, you must include income received by your spouse, if married, and any relatives who live in the home with you. But there are exceptions:

• You can exclude the first $6500 of income received by relatives who live with you, other than a spouse. For example, Maria is 65 years old, unmarried, and had income of $15,000 in 2018. Her daughter, who lives with her, had $8500 income. Their total income is $23,500, which exceeds the limit of $22,000. But because Mary can exclude the first $6500 of her daughter’s income – for an adjusted combined income of $17,500 – she meets the income test.
• If you’re disabled, you can also exclude $7500 of your own income from gross income for qualification purposes.

Asset Limits

If you meet the maximum income limit, the next test is your net worth. For 2019 grants, the total value of your assets as of December 31, 2018 can’t exceed $75,000. Assets include your vehicle, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and real property. But there are important exceptions to the asset limit, too:

• The value of your household furnishings is not counted.
• Liabilities such as credit card debt, vehicle loans, and mortgages on real property can be deducted from the value of your assets.

When calculating your assets, use your 2018 year-end statements and the assessed value of your vehicle listed on your 2018 Fairfax County Personal Property Tax bill. (If your vehicle is in worse than average condition and you think that value is too high, you may want to appeal your vehicle assessment first.)

How Much Rent Relief Will You Receive?

If you are an eligible person and met the income and asset tests, you may qualify for a 2019 grant of $225 to $575, depending on how much rent you pay. The exact amount of the grant is based on the amount of you rent paid during 2018 that exceeded 30% of your income. If your rent was less than 30% of your income, you won’t receive a grant.

Rent relief checks are mailed in August each year.

Ready to Apply for Rent Relief?

If you’ve never applied for Fairfax County tax relief for renters before, you can apply anytime from January 1, 2019 to April 1, 2020. Use the 2019 Application for Tax Relief and (if it applies to you) the Affidavit of Disability.

Returning applicants automatically receive a renewal application in the mail and must file between January 1 and April 1, 2019. If you cannot meet this deadline, call the county to request a hardship extension.

Along with your completed application, you will need to provide official documentation including your federal tax return, bank statements, and credit card statements. You also need to submit a copy of your lease agreement and rental receipts or cancelled checks for each month in 2018.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Tax Relief for Renters program, call the Tax Relief Office at 703-222-8234, email them at taxrelief@fairfaxcounty.gov, or visit the county tax relief webpage.