Where to report suspected Section 8 abuse

Report suspected Section 8 fraud to your local Public Housing Authority (PHA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General, or both. The PHA that issued the voucher or manages the program in your area handles most reports and investigates them directly. HUD's Office of Inspector General takes reports of larger schemes, landlord misconduct, or cases where the local PHA itself may be involved in wrongdoing.

You do not need to be a participant in Section 8 to report abuse. Landlords, neighbors, other tenants, or anyone with knowledge of fraud can file a report. The person reporting does not have to be the one harmed by the abuse.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact your local Public Housing Authority first if you suspect a tenant, landlord, or PHA staff member is committing Section 8 fraud.
  • HUD's Office of Inspector General hotline (1-800-347-3735) accepts reports of fraud, waste, and abuse in any HUD program, including Section 8.
  • Common types of abuse include landlords charging tenants extra fees, tenants hiding income or household members, and landlords failing to maintain safe housing.
  • Reports can be made by phone, mail, email, or online form, and you may report anonymously in most cases.
  • The PHA or HUD will investigate but cannot may provide the outcome or timeline of an investigation.

What counts as Section 8 abuse and fraud

Tenant fraud includes hiding income, not reporting a household member who moved in, lying about employment status, or using the voucher at a property where the tenant does not actually live. It also includes subletting the unit or allowing someone else to live there while the tenant lives elsewhere.

Landlord fraud includes charging tenants extra money beyond the agreed rent, demanding payment in cash to avoid reporting income, failing to maintain the unit to housing quality standards, or falsifying lease agreements or inspection reports. Some landlords also commit fraud by housing multiple families in a single unit or renting to ineligible tenants.

PHA staff misconduct includes accepting bribes, steering vouchers to certain landlords in exchange for payment, or falsifying inspection records. This is less common but serious enough that HUD investigates separately from local authorities.

How to report to your local Public Housing Authority

Find your local PHA by searching HUD's list of PHAs at hud.gov or by calling 311 and asking for the housing authority in your city or county. Once you have the contact information, call the PHA's fraud hotline or main office and ask to speak with someone in the fraud or compliance department.

Have the following information ready when you call: the tenant's or landlord's name, the address of the Section 8 unit, what you observed or know about the abuse, and when it happened. If you witnessed something specific — like a landlord demanding cash or a tenant's friend moving in — describe what you saw and when. If you are reporting based on what someone told you, say that clearly.

Most PHAs accept reports by phone, mail, or email. Some have an online fraud reporting form on their website. Ask the PHA which method they prefer and whether you can report anonymously. Many PHAs will take anonymous reports, though an investigation may be harder to complete without a way to follow up with you.

How to report to HUD's Office of Inspector General

Call HUD's Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-347-3735 to report fraud, waste, or abuse in Section 8 or any HUD program. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. You can also submit a report online at hudoig.gov using their find form, or mail a written report to the address listed on their website.

When you call or write, describe what you know: who is involved, what they did, where it happened, and when. Explain why you believe it is fraud or abuse — for example, "The landlord told the tenant to pay $200 cash under the table each month" or "The tenant's adult son lives in the unit but is not listed on the lease." The more specific you are, the easier it is to investigate.

HUD's Office of Inspector General handles reports across the entire country and investigates cases that involve multiple PHAs, large sums of money, or patterns of abuse. They also investigate when you believe the local PHA itself is involved in the wrongdoing.

What happens after you report

After you file a report, either the PHA or HUD will open an investigation. An investigator will gather evidence, interview people involved, and review documents like leases, inspection reports, and income records. Investigations typically take weeks to months, depending on how complex the case is and how many people need to be interviewed.

You will not always hear back about the outcome. Many investigations are confidential, and the PHA or HUD may not tell you whether they found fraud or what action they took. If the abuse involved a safety hazard — like a landlord refusing to fix a broken heating system — the PHA may order repairs as part of the investigation, and you may see that change happen.

If fraud is confirmed, the PHA may terminate the tenant's voucher, remove the landlord from the program, or refer the case to law enforcement for criminal charges. The PHA may also require the landlord to repay money or make repairs. These outcomes depend on the type and severity of the abuse.

Reporting anonymously and protecting yourself

Most PHAs and HUD accept anonymous reports. You do not have to give your name, address, or phone number. However, if you do not provide contact information, the investigator cannot call you back to ask follow-up questions, which may slow the investigation.

If you are a Section 8 tenant reporting your own landlord, you may worry about retaliation — such as the landlord threatening to evict you or refusing to make repairs. Section 8 rules prohibit landlords from retaliating against tenants for reporting fraud or safety violations. If a landlord retaliates, you can report that separately to the PHA or HUD.

If you are a neighbor or someone outside the program reporting abuse, there is less risk to you, but you can still report anonymously if you prefer. Providing your name does not mean it will be shared with the person you are reporting.

When to contact law enforcement instead

If you witness a crime — such as a landlord threatening violence, a tenant dealing drugs from the unit, or someone breaking into the property — contact local police first. Police handle criminal matters, while the PHA and HUD handle program violations and fraud.

You can report to both the PHA and police at the same time. The PHA's investigation focuses on whether the person should stay in the Section 8 program. The police investigation focuses on whether a crime occurred. Both can move forward independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I report my landlord if I am a Section 8 tenant?

Yes. You can report your landlord to the PHA or HUD for fraud, safety violations, or other abuse. Section 8 rules protect tenants from retaliation for reporting. If your landlord retaliates — by threatening eviction, raising rent, or refusing repairs — report that to the PHA as well.

What if I am not sure if what I saw is actually fraud?

Report it anyway. Describe exactly what you observed or heard, and let the investigator decide whether it meets the definition of fraud. It is better to report something that turns out to be innocent than to stay silent about something that is real abuse.

How long does a Section 8 fraud investigation take?

Investigations typically take several weeks to several months. straightforward cases may be resolved faster. Complex cases involving multiple people or properties can take longer. The PHA or HUD will not always tell you when the investigation is complete or what the outcome was.

Can I report someone anonymously?

Yes. Both the PHA and HUD accept anonymous reports by phone, mail, email, or online form. Anonymous reports are harder to investigate because the investigator cannot follow up with you, but they are still worth filing.

What if the PHA itself is committing fraud?

Report to HUD's Office of Inspector General instead of the local PHA. HUD investigates misconduct by PHA staff and can take action independently of the local authority.