Do you own a home that
you would like to rent to Section 8 tenants? Here are some common questions
asked by landlords:
WHAT'S INVOLVED?
You enter into a
lease
agreement with the
tenant. The Housing Authority will provide the
lease, which
includes all regulations required by HUD. You
will
sign a Contract with the Housing
Authority assuring that a portion of your rent will be paid by the Authority.
Your property must be inspected to see that it meets certain Housing Quality
Standards (HQS), basically ensuring the housing is decent, safe and sanitary.
View
a
copy
of
the
Section
8
Lease
WHAT
ARE
SOME
COMMON
REASONS
FOR
FAILED
INSPECTIONS?
Utilities
are
not
turned
on
at
the
time
of
the
inspection.
Gas
or
oil
furnaces
are
not
operating
at
the
time
of
the
initial
inspection.
Appliances
are
not
working
properly
or
have
missing
parts.
The
only
smoke
detector
on
any
given
level
of
a
unit
is
located
in
the
kitchen;
there
is
not
a
smoke
detector
located
near
sleeping
areas,
on
all
levels,
or
in
a
laundry
room.
Smoke
detectors
are
not
working
properly,
are
missing
batteries,
or
the
batteries
are
low
on
power.
Outlet
or
light
switch
cover
plates
are
broken
or
missing.
Junction
boxes
or
electrical
panels
are
open,
exposing
wires
and
wire
connections.
Hot
water
tanks
do
not
have
a
discharge
line.
Plumbing
fixtures
leak
or
drains
are
plugged.
Window
panes
are
broken,
windows
do
not
have
locks.
Stairs
with
four
or
more
steps
do
not
have
a
railing.
Deteriorated
(chipping
and
peeling)
paint
is
present
on
any
surface
of
the
interior
or
exterior
of
the
building
or
any
other
structures
on
the
property.
View
a
copy
of
the
inspection
form
WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE
OWNER?
A
portion
of the rent is
on
time
and
guaranteed by HUD and paid directly to you by the Housing
Authority.
The
tenant pays the balance to you.
If
the
tenant's
income
drops,
his/her
portion
of
the
rent
can
be
lowered
and
the
Housing
Authority's
portion
can
be
increased,
so
the
rent
does
not
change.
Fair Market Rents (FMR) are set
and approved by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and are
adjusted annually. You have the option to select (and screen) any family
certified by the Housing Authority as your
tenant. You may also post your
vacancies at the Housing Authority and save on advertising costs. You deal
directly with the
tenant.
OWNER'S RIGHTS
Your rights are the same as they are in the private market. You select
tenants
from the pool of eligible families maintained by the Housing Authority. You
still
have
the right to evict the
tenant in accordance with State law.
OWNER'S
RESPONSIBILITIES
Basically, these are
the same as they are in the private market. You must perform your obligations
under the Housing Authority Contract and
the
lease. You have the responsibility for
maintaining and managing your unit. You pay utilities and services unless
specified in the
lease as the
tenant's responsibility. You collect the
tenant's
portion of the rent. You
must
comply with the Fair Housing
Act
and equal opportunity
requirements.
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