How income-based apartments work in Michigan

Last updated October 26, 2026

An income-based apartment sets your rent from your household income. It does not use a fixed market price. In most federally assisted housing, a household pays about 30 percent of its adjusted income toward rent and utilities.

What income-based means

Your rent follows what your household earns. If your income drops, the rent can drop at your next review. If it rises, the rent can rise. The office handles that review, usually once a year.

Some communities instead use a set rent that sits below the local market. Those are often called affordable or restricted-rent apartments. The listing or the office will tell you which kind a property is.

On our listings

This site lists 16 properties. Two carry the Income-Based tag: Fife Lake and Kingsley Arms in Fife Lake, and Oakwood Manor in Baldwin. Ten carry the Section 8 tag. The other properties do not say, so ask the office how rent is set. Use the Income-Based filter on the apartments page to see the tagged ones, or compare listed rents across properties.

Who qualifies

Each property sets an income limit based on household size and the median income of its county. A larger household has a higher limit.

Some properties also set an age rule. On our listings, four are for older adults: Stone Manor Apartments and Maplewood Apartments in Mio and Fawn River Apartments in Sturgis list 55 and older, and Oak Terrace in Traverse City lists 50 and older. Federal fair housing law allows housing for older persons to limit residents by age when it meets set rules, with 62 and older and 55 and older as the common ages.

Ask the office for the current income limit for your household size. Limits change from year to year.

What the office will ask for

Offices usually verify income and household details before they approve an application. Expect to be asked for:

  • Photo ID for every adult
  • Proof of income, such as pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns
  • Names and birth dates for everyone who will live in the unit

Requirements differ by property. Call or send an inquiry before you gather papers, so you collect only what that office needs. The tour checklist covers what to bring when you visit.

Your rights when you apply

Michigan and federal fair housing law bar a landlord from treating you differently because of protected traits, including race, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability and age where the law covers it. Since April 2, 2025, Michigan also bars most landlords from refusing you because of a lawful source of income, such as a voucher, Social Security or child support. The Fair Housing Center of Michigan explains the source of income rule. This is general information, not legal advice.

How to start

  1. Pick a town and read the property page.
  2. Check the unit sizes the property lists.
  3. Send an inquiry from the property page, or call the office.
  4. Ask whether a waitlist is open and how long people wait.

Small-town properties often have a short list of units, so asking early helps.

Questions people ask

Do I pay a fixed rent at an income-based apartment?
No. At an income-based property your rent is set from your household income, usually about 30 percent of adjusted income. If your income changes, the rent can change at your next review. A property with set rents will say so on its listing.
Can I apply for an income-based apartment with no income?
Often yes. The office sets the rent from what you report, and that can be a low amount. Ask the property office how it handles zero income before you apply, since each property follows its own process.
Does it cost anything to apply for an apartment?
Fees vary by property. Ask the office whether there is an application fee before you submit anything. Also ask how long approval takes and whether a waitlist is open for the unit size you need.

Browse every listing on the apartments page, or see all renter guides.