July 14, 2026
Greystar turned away apartment applicants trying to use housing vouchers to pay rent, according to a watchdog group.
Greystar, the largest apartment owner in the United States, has systematically refused to accept Housing Choice vouchers (better known as Section 8) in several states where that is illegal, according to complaints filed with state agencies and attorneys general by a national watchdog group on Monday.
According to Housing Rights Initiative, “testers” trained by its organization have been calling Greystar offices around the country since October to inquire about available apartments. The testers posed as prospective tenants and asked if they could use housing vouchers to pay the rent. Time and again, they said, Greystar employees told them that vouchers would not be accepted, or imposed illegal requirements on using them.
Federal law makes participation in Section 8 voluntary, but numerous states require that landlords accept the vouchers. Housing Rights Initiative cataloged more than 100 violations of state fair housing laws by Greystar in Maryland, Hawaii, New Jersey, Michigan, California and Virginia, as well as in Washington, D.C.
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Brian Corman, a partner at Cohen Milstein, who represents the Housing Rights Initiative, said that Greystar is not a small landlord unfamiliar with the law — the company manages more than a million units, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, making it a powerful gatekeeper for the country’s housing stock.
“This is not a paperwork issue,” Mr. Corman said. “Denying housing because the family intends to use a voucher has real consequences on where families can live, where children can go to school, and whether people can achieve housing stability.”
Mr. Corman said the complaints were filed with state fair housing and civil rights agencies or with attorneys general, who have the power to investigate, enforce their states’ fair housing laws and potentially impose fines.
Mr. Carr said the buildings his group investigated were primarily in high-income neighborhoods where housing supply tends to be tight, like parts of Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Mich., and Arlington, Va. In areas with less competition for each unit, Mr. Carr said landlords are more likely to accept voucher tenants.
“We’re an enforcement agency, but enforcement is no panacea,” he said. “Other tools have to be used, and that includes a greater housing supply.”
Read Largest Landlord in the U.S. Accused of Widespread Fair Housing Violations.