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Will I lose my rental voucher if I make an agreement?

Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute with assistance from legal services offices in Massachusetts
Created May 2017

Will I lose my rental voucher if I make an agreement?

If you have a Section 8 or other housing voucher and a judge decides that you owe rent or violated your lease, the housing agency will probably terminate the voucher they gave you. So, you may decide it is too risky to fight the eviction in front of a judge.

To protect your voucher, the agreement must say:

  • You do not admit to doing the things that the landlord claims you did wrong.
  • You and the landlord agree that the eviction is not for the reason described in the Summary Process Complaint, but for a reason that is not your fault.
  • If there were problems, you and the landlord have worked them out. For example, you have worked out a repayment plan to pay rent owed.
  • If you agree to move out, you are moving out voluntarily.

 

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