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Landlord/Owner Information: |
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HOW IT ALL WORKS: 1. List your property. A Section 8 housing list is maintained as a service to Section 8 Participants. A landlord can add their property to this list by turning in the required paperwork at our Section 8 office. A complete packet of required information may be picked up at our office or accessed through the web at Housing List Forms. Landlords are encouraged to advertise their property in local newspapers with a wide circulation and include " Section 8 Accepted" in the advertisement. 2. Screen prospective participants. The Housing Authority will screen our waiting list applicants as thoroughly and fairly as possible. The Housing Authority will screen for sex offender registration. However, final selection of a family for tenancy is the responsibility of the property owner, the Housing Authority strongly encourages owners participating in the program to screen all potential tenant families for criminal, credit, and rental history, grandchild, grandparent, sister, or brother of the Section 8 participant you select. 3. Select Participant. The choice is the landlord's. Tenant selection is based on the landlord's own selection criteria. Charging an application fee is acceptable as long as Section 8 participants are charged the same fee as non-Section 8 participants. The use of renter reference services is encouraged. As in all cases, Fair Housing is the law. 4. Submit a "Request For Tenancy Approval" (RFTA). Once the landlord has agreed to rent a unit to a Section 8 participant, the landlord will be provided with an RFTA which must be completed. The information provided on the RFTA is used to determine if the family is eligible for the unit selected. The tenant will return the completed RFTA to the Housing Authority for processing. 5. Perform a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. Upon receipt of an RFTA, a HQS inspection is scheduled and conducted to ensure that the unit is decent, safe, and sanitary and to determine whether the total monthly rent requested for the unit is acceptable. The rent is negotiable and must be comparable to other unassisted units in that area. All units must meet the HQS standards before payments will begin. 6. Negotiate the rent. The Housing Authority will determine the "authorized rent" which is the maximum rent allowable for that unit. It is established through a process by which the inspector obtains "rent comparables" of other properties located in the same area as the unit selected. In making their determination, the inspector will consider factors such as the condition and size of the unit (square footage), the unit type, amenities, age, and utilities paid. The Housing Authority uses a "payment standard" developed from fair market rents published by HUD to determine the maximum rent the Housing Authority will pay. The amount will vary from unit to unit and from community to community. 7. Sign the lease and contract. Once the unit passes inspection and the rent is determined, a lease will be signed by both the landlord and the tenant. The Housing Assistance Payments Contract will be signed by the landlord and a Housing Authority representative for each portion of the total rent payable. Lease and contracts may begin the day the unit passes inspection and the participant takes possession of the unit. Landlord Responsibilities:
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