Landlords / property owners
What is a Section 8 Housing Choice Landlord?
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program increases affordable housing choices for very low-income households by allowing families to choose privately owned rental housing. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program creates a three-way partnership between the local housing authority, the participating family and the owner/landlord of the private rental property.
How the Process to become a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Landlord Works?
Through the Section 8 Rental Voucher Program, the administering housing authority issues a voucher to an income-qualified household, which then finds a unit to rent. If the unit meets the Section 8 housing quality standards, the housing authority then pays a subsidy directly to the landlord.
Steps to Landlord Participation:
When the family has found a housing unit that is satisfactory, they must negotiate a residential lease with the landlord. To do this, the landlord must first agree to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
The rent for the unit must be reasonable, according to area comparables.
If the landlord agrees to participate in the program and to lease their unit, the landlord and family should conduct a joint inspection of the unit to determine its current condition.
The landlord must meet the lease requirements as set by EPCHA, and complete the documents given to the family, which include Request for Tenancy Approval, Tenancy Addendum, Owners Certification, (Management agreement if applicable), Lead Based Paint disclosure statement, request for taxpayer identification and certification (Form W-9) from the IRS, and three copies of the residential lease agreement. The lease must not have the beginning or ending dates nor the contract rent amount filled in.
The family will return these documents to our office where they will be reviewed and approved. If all is in order, an inspection of the rental unit will be conducted within 5-10 business days. If the unit meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS) set by federal regulations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and EPCHA and the owner have agreed on a monthly contract rent amount, the lease will be approved.
EPCHA will notify both the landlord and family the move in is authorized once the unit has passed inspection, and their current lease has expired if applicable.
A Housing Assistance Payments Contract (known as a HAP Contract) must be signed by the Landlord and EPCHA. This contract runs concurrently with the Lease Agreement signed between the Landlord and the Assisted Family.
Payment of the family’s portion of rent will begin on the effective date of the contract and lease. A family can remain on the Housing Assistance Program as long as they continue to be eligible, fulfill their obligations under the federal regulations of the program, and funding availability.
For more information contact:
Housing Choice Voucher Department
Phone: 915-764-3559
Email: landlord@epcha.org