NEW LANLORDS

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Partnership – The Landlord, The Housing Authority, and The Family 

• The HCV Program depends on a cooperative relationship between the owner or property manager, the housing authority, and the assisted family. The program is designed to maintain the regular owner and tenant relationship.

• The role of the housing authority is to subsidize the family’s rent; all other aspects of the lease agreement must be resolved between the landlord and the tenant.

 

The following summarizes the responsibilities of each party. 

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The Housing Authority’s Responsibilities: 

• Reviews all applicants to determine families’ eligibility for the program. 

• Explains the rules of the program to families and property owners/managers. 

• Issues vouchers to families. 

• Inspects and approves the assisted unit for compliance with housing quality standards and conducts rent reasonable surveys based on the private market. 

• Calculates the family’s share of the rent and pays EHA’s rent portion to the property owner on behalf of the participant in a timely manner. 

• Re-examines the family’s income and composition annually and adjusts the rent and processes changes to rent portions when there are changes. 

• Ensures that owners and families comply with the program rules. 

• Provides p'rompt, professional service to owners and tenant families.

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The Owner: 

• Thoroughly screens and interviews families who apply. 

• Maintains the property in compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and make necessary repairs in a timely manner. 

• Collects any application fees, security deposits, and the tenant’s monthly rent portion (set by EHA). 

• Manages the property and enforces the lease. 

• Complies with the terms of the Housing Assistance Payment Contract and HUD Tenancy addendum. 

• Complies with all fair housing laws and not improperly discriminate against any family. 

• Notifies the housing authority if a tenant vacates the unit and returns any housing assistance payments received after a family vacates a unit. 

• Promptly notifies the housing authority of owner changes so payments are issued to the new landlord without delay. 

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The Family: 

• Provides the housing authority with complete and accurate information pertaining to the family income and composition. 

• Reports changes in income and family composition to EHA within 10 days of occurrence. 

• Locates a suitable unit before the voucher expires and pays the security deposit and application fee to the owner. 

• Attends scheduled appointments and returns documents on time. 

• Maintains the unit in good, safe, decent, and sanitary condition. 

• Signs and complies with the terms of the lease. 

• Pays their portion of the rent on time to the owner. Complies with all family obligations under the HCV Program.