Housing assistance in Idaho
Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) runs the Housing Choice Voucher program for 34 of Idaho's 44 counties, and local housing authorities such as Boise City/Ada County serve the rest. Energy assistance (LIHEAP) is overseen by the Department of Health and Welfare and handed out through Community Action Agencies, which serve every county. State law bars cities and counties from regulating rent, fees or deposits on private rentals, and tenants generally cannot withhold rent or repair-and-deduct.
Where to apply for rental assistance and vouchers
Section 8 vouchers and public housing are run by local public housing agencies (PHAs). Each keeps its own waiting list, so apply to every agency serving places you could live. The state housing finance agency funds affordable apartments and homebuyer programs but usually does not take voucher applications.
Ask each agency: Is the waiting list open? How do I apply, and how will you contact me? Never pay to apply or to move up a list. See how to apply for Section 8 and how waiting lists work.
Programs and free legal help in Idaho
Energy and utility bills
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Offers seasonal heating help (households with a child under 6, an older adult or a disabled member can apply starting in October, and everyone else starting in November) and year-round crisis help to stop or restore a shutoff. Funding is first-come, first-served. Apply through your local Community Action Agency.
Free legal help
- Idaho Legal Aid Services Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.
Gives free civil legal help, including on housing problems, to low-income people, seniors and other vulnerable residents across Idaho. Its website also has self-help guides and forms. Call the Legal Advice Line or apply online.
Call 208-746-7541
Official tenant guides
- Landlord and Tenant Manual Idaho Office of the Attorney General
A free guide to Idaho renters' rights and duties, covering leases, privacy, repairs, the eviction process and how to get a security deposit back. It includes move-in and move-out checklists.
Repairs and weatherization
- Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Helps eligible low-income households save energy by repairing or replacing heaters and furnaces, adding insulation, and sealing windows and doors.
No statewide emergency rent program? Most rent help is local. Call 211 and ask which county, charity, or community action programs are taking applications now. See emergency rental assistance.
Key tenant laws in Idaho
Statewide rules for most private rentals. Cities, counties, subsidized housing, and your lease can add protections, and some rules have exceptions. Read the linked law before relying on a deadline.
- Security deposit limit
No statutory cap on the amount. A landlord may not keep any part of the deposit for normal wear and tear. Since a 2025 law, cities and counties also cannot regulate deposits on private rentals.
- Deposit return deadline
Within 21 days after the tenant surrenders the premises if the lease sets no other time, and never later than 30 days. If any part is kept, the landlord must include a signed, itemized statement of the amounts kept and what was spent.
- Notice before an eviction for unpaid rent
3 days' written notice demanding payment of the stated amount due or possession. The notice must also say that a residential tenant will have 72 hours after a judgment to remove belongings. For the landlord to recover attorney fees, the notice must say that fees go to the winning party.
- Landlord entry notice
No statute sets a notice period; check the lease. The Attorney General's manual advises that if the lease is silent, the landlord should tell the tenant why entry is needed and the two should agree on a reasonable time and manner.
- Rent increases and rent control
State law preempts local rent control: cities and counties cannot regulate rent, fees or deposits on private residential rentals. Landlords must give at least 30 days' written notice before a rent increase or a nonrenewal, and all fees must be reasonable and agreed in the lease (or given with 30 days' written notice).
- If the landlord won’t make repairs
Generally no rent withholding or repair-and-deduct. The one exception is smoke detectors, which a tenant may install and deduct from rent after 72 hours' certified-mail notice. For other serious problems (heat, plumbing, electrical, health or safety hazards), the tenant must give 3 days' written notice and can then sue for damages and a court order requiring repairs.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you have a notice or court papers, contact legal aid right away. See facing eviction, security deposit rights, and repairs and habitability.
Phone lines that serve Idaho
- Shelter, rent help, and local services211
- HUD-approved housing counseling800-569-4287
- Housing discrimination complaints (HUD)800-669-9777
- Energy assistance referral (LIHEAP)866-674-6327
- Veterans at risk of homelessness877-424-3838
- Domestic violence hotline800-799-7233
More local contacts: HUD’s Idaho resource page.
Next steps
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. Laws, programs, and agency websites change; confirm details with the agency or court before relying on them. Report a correction.
- Idaho Code § 6-321 Security depositsIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 6-303 Unlawful detainer definedIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 6-324 Attorney feesIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 6-320 Action for damages and specific performance by tenantIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 55-306 Local government — no rent controlIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 55-304 Change in terms of lease — noticeIdaho State Legislature
- Idaho Code § 55-305 Limitation on fees for tenantsIdaho State Legislature
- Landlord and Tenant ManualIdaho Office of the Attorney General
- About Heating AssistanceIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
- Home Heating and Utility AssistanceIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
- Idaho Legal Aid ServicesIdaho Legal Aid Services
- Renter ResourcesIdaho Housing and Finance Association
- Housing Authorities in IdahoIdaho Housing and Finance Association
- Boise City/Ada County Housing AuthoritiesBoise City/Ada County Housing Authorities
- Southwestern Idaho Cooperative Housing AuthoritySouthwestern Idaho Cooperative Housing Authority