Rent guidelines determined by HUD to be the cost of modest, non-luxury rental units (including all tenant paid utilities except phone, tv, or internet services) in a specific market area for various size units.  This is an estimate of what a family, moving today, can expect to pay for a modest rental home, not what the current renters are paying on average.

Fair Market Rent is primarily used by housing authorities to determine how much housing assistance a household is eligible for and is based upon the dollar amount at which 40% of the standard quality rental stock are rented.

• Since 2001, Fair Market Rent in Pierce County had risen steadily until this coming year 2012, when there will be an 8% reduction in the federal Fair Market Rent figures.   For 2012, FMR for a two-bedroom apartment is $929. The table below shows the FMR for Pierce County in 2011 and 2012 compared to the year 2001.