Housing Choice Voucher participation involves more than simply agreeing to accept a voucher. The property, proposed rent, landlord paperwork and tenancy must satisfy applicable Housing Choice Voucher requirements.
Exact PHA requirements vary, but these are the major areas a prospective Housing Choice Voucher landlord should expect.
Provide required ownership, identity and payment information.
Offer a unit that can satisfy applicable program requirements.
Submit the proposed rent for PHA review.
Make the unit available for required inspection.
Complete the lease and Housing Assistance Payments documentation.
Maintain the property and comply with continuing obligations.
HUD has standard forms, but local PHAs may also require additional forms based on their own administrative procedures.
Often called the RFTA.
The household gives this form to the landlord. The landlord completes the required information and returns it to the PHA to begin the tenancy-approval process.
HAP means Housing Assistance Payments.
The HAP contract governs the relationship between the landlord and the PHA for housing assistance payments.
The HUD tenancy addendum is attached to the rental lease.
Where the tenancy addendum conflicts with a provision in the ordinary lease, the HUD addendum generally controls for the covered subject.
The PHA generally needs landlord taxpayer information so housing assistance payments can be properly reported.
The unit must satisfy the inspection requirements that apply to the PHA's Housing Choice Voucher program.
The landlord must cooperate with the PHA's inspection process.
Conditions identified through inspection may need to be corrected before or during continued program participation.
Participation does not eliminate ordinary maintenance and housing-condition responsibilities.
The proposed rent must satisfy applicable Housing Choice Voucher requirements, including rent reasonableness.
The landlord identifies the rent being requested for the unit.
The PHA compares the proposed rent with similar unassisted rental units.
The PHA must determine the rent is reasonable before executing the HAP contract.
The lease establishes the landlord-tenant rental relationship, together with applicable law and the HUD tenancy addendum.
The Housing Assistance Payments contract governs the PHA's subsidy payments to the landlord.
Keep the property in the condition required by applicable program, lease and local requirements.
Cooperate with required inspections and PHA procedures.
Maintain appropriate leases, notices, repair records and financial records.
Follow applicable fair-housing, landlord-tenant and nondiscrimination requirements.
Determine which housing authority actually serves the property.
Get the current forms and procedures directly from that PHA.
Review the correct bedroom-size and geographic standards.
Understand utility responsibility and applicable allowances.
Know what inspection system and procedure the local PHA currently uses.
Never substitute program eligibility for actual investment analysis.
Use the SSBS Section 8 Landlord Workbook to keep your market research, PHA information, property analysis, expenses and landlord requirements in one place.
$197Fillable digital workbook.
Luna can help you identify questions to ask the PHA, organize your property research and understand Housing Choice Voucher terminology.
SSBS provides education. Your local PHA is where you verify the actual paperwork and requirements for the property.
HUD provides Housing Choice Voucher landlord information, forms and program resources.
Review HUD's standard Housing Choice Voucher landlord forms and descriptions.
Now that you understand the general landlord requirements, the next step is understanding what the PHA is looking for when the property itself is inspected.
The next lesson deals with the property itself: inspections, deficiencies, repairs and ongoing condition requirements.