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What are the minimum federal housing quality standards for renting to Section 8 tenants?
Aprilpal
This is something you're going to need to check out. The answer to this question is exhaustive. But basically if the building meets the local or municipal building code, it should meet the same federal quality standards.
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∙ 11y ago
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Can I list my house for Section 8?
There is no such thing as renting to section 8. What you want to do is accept section 8 vouchers.To be able to accept section 8 vouchers your rental unit must meet the minimum housing quality standards and be inspected by a program administrator from the local housing authority.The first step is that tenant who has a section 8 voucher approaches you, looks at the rental unit, and wants to rent it. The tenant's voucher generally specifies a dollar amount for the rent, the bedroom size, or both. The voucher holder is generally the main lessee of the house, with family members who may be on the voucher as well.If you accept the tenant you will fill out form called a request for tenant approval, or RTA. When the Housing Authority accepts the RFTA they will make an appointment to send a representative out to inspect the apartment, with the tenant present. When the program administrator inspects the home and approves it, a lease can be signed and executed on the spot.An effective date, or moving date, can then be agreed upon, wherein the Housing Authority will issue you a check for the amount they will pay. The rent you charge, minus the amount the Housing Authority pays, is what the tenant will pay you -- a set amount the Housing Authority tells the tenant they must pay. You are not allowed to charge the tenant more money.On the first of the month, like clockwork, the Housing Authority will pay you their portion of the rent. This will continue even as the tenant is being evicted if this is to be done. There are certain rules and regulations that tenant, landlord, and Housing Authority must follow in order to maintain this relationship. The Housing Authority will often issue the landlord a handbook with information about its program.* A family with a current Section 8 voucher views your apartment and wants to rent it.You screen the tenants to make sure they are suitable.You agree to lease to the tenants and contact the Section 8 office for approval.The Section 8 office checks to make sure the family can afford the rent, the rent is reasonable compared to other rents in the community, and the lease is acceptable.The Section 8 office sends an inspector to check your apartment to make sure it meets program standards.After the apartment passes inspection, the Section 8 office sends you a contract to sign.You sign the contract with Section 8 and sign the lease with your tenants, and the family moves in.The family pays its portion of the rent and Section 8 pays the rest.How does the Section 8 program work?(Note: Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher Program are two different names for the same program.)Section 8 is a federal assistance program to help low-income people pay their rent. People with Section 8 vouchers find their own housing and pay a percentage of their income for rent. Section 8 pays the landlord the rest of the rent.In IL, it is against the law to refuse to rent to someone just because the person has a Section 8 voucher.These are the steps involved in renting to a Section 8 tenant:A family with a current Section 8 voucher views your apartment and wants to rent it.You screen the tenants to make sure they are suitable.You agree to lease to the tenants and contact the Section 8 office for approval.The Section 8 office checks to make sure the family can afford the rent, the rent is reasonable compared to other rents in the community, and the lease is acceptable.The Section 8 office sends an inspector to check your apartment to make sure it meets program standards.After the apartment passes inspection, the Section 8 office sends you a contract to sign.You sign the contract with Section 8 and sign the lease with your tenants, and the family moves in.The family pays its portion of the rent and Section 8 pays the rest. You can view the Section 8 program forms on the HUD web site:Housing Choice Voucher authorizes a family to look for an apartment and specifies the size of the unitRequest for Tenancy Approval is submitted to the Section 8 office after the landlord agrees to rent to the tenantInspection Form is used to determine if the apartment meets the Section 8 standardsTenancy Addendum must be attached to the leaseHousing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract is the contract between the landlord and the Section 8 office How do I list my apartment with Section 8?If you would like to rent to Section 8 tenants, you should contact your local Housing Authority to let them know you have an apartment available. They will add your apartment to their listings. This is a free service. You may use the HUD Housing Authority listing to find your local Housing Authority address and telephone number:You may also advertise on your own. If you place an ad, include a notice stating that you welcome Section 8 tenants.It is against the law in Illinois to refuse to rent to a prospective tenant, just because the tenant has a Section 8 voucher.Does the Housing Authority screen Section 8 tenants?The Housing Authority does not screen Section 8 tenants for you. You must do this yourself, just as you would screen non-Section 8 tenants. You should ask for Social Security number, references, current and previous landlords, credit history, employment history, criminal record, etc., and check the information carefully.There are many services available to help you screen tenants. These services can check to see if the prospective tenant has a criminal record, has been evicted, or has bad credit. When checking references, always contact the previous landlord as well as the current landlord, because the current landlord may want the tenants to move out.The Housing Authority will tell you the number of people on the voucher, current and previous address, and current and previous landlord. Some Housing Authorities will also share any other information they have. However, the Housing Authority's main concern is checking that the applicant meets the income limits and other Section 8 eligibility requirements. Screening the tenant is the landlord's responsibility.Who pays the security deposit?If you want a security deposit, you must collect this from the tenant. The Section 8 program has no responsibility for damages, unpaid tenant rent, or other claims you might have against the tenant.The maximum security deposit you may collect is one month's rent. You may not collect the last month's rent.Do I sign a lease with the tenant?You must sign a lease with the tenant for a minimum of one year. The lease should include:* names of the landlord and tenant* address of the rental unit* term of the lease and how it will be renewed* monthly rent amount* which utilities are paid by the tenant* which appliances must be provided by the tenant* Tenancy AddendumYou must include the Tenancy Addendum exactly as it appears on the HUD web site:* Tenancy Addendum (requires Adobe Reader)You may include any other conditions that you normally include in your leases, as long as they do not violate any laws.What kind of inspection is done?Your apartment will be inspected to make sure that it meets the housing standards of the Section 8 program. The inspector will examine the exterior of the building, the plumbing and heating systems, the exits and hallways, and each room in the apartment to make sure the unit is safe, clean, and in good condition. The unit must be vacant at the time of the first inspection, and all utilities must be turned on. The inspector must have access to the unit itself, the basement, and all common areas.The inspector uses a checklist form provided by HUD, the federal agency in charge of the Section 8 program. For each item on the list, the inspector marks if the unit passes or fails (or not sure). If repairs are needed, the inspector marks this on the form.You can view the inspection form on the HUD web site.* Housing Choice Voucher Program Inspection Form (requires Adobe Reader)A family will not be allowed to rent your apartment until you have made any needed repairs and the unit passes the inspection.The apartment will be re-inspected each year. If problems are found, you must make repairs within the time allotted or else Section 8 will stop payments.How much rent can I charge?The rent you charge must be reasonable compared to other units of similar size in your community. The Section 8 office will compare your rent to their payment standards, which are based in part on the fair market rents in your city or town. The fair market rents are the average gross rents (rent plus utilities) being paid in your community for modest apartments of varying sizes. See What are "fair market rents?"If the gross rent (rent plus utilities) for your apartment is less than or equal to the payment standard, the tenants pay 30% of their monthly income for rent and Section 8 pays the rest. If the rent is higher, the tenants must make up the difference. However, they are not allowed to pay more than 40% of their income for rent when they first rent an apartment.If you want to increase the rent when you renew the lease, you must get approval from Section 8. The rent must remain reasonable and within the family's ability to pay, or else Section 8 will not approve it.How do I get paid?Section 8 will send you a check for their portion of the rent each month. They will continue to do so as long as the tenant remains eligible for Section 8 and your apartment meets the Section 8 program standards.You are responsible for collecting the tenant portion of the rent each month.May I evict a Section 8 tenant?You may evict a Section 8 tenant in the same way you would evict a non-Section 8 tenant. The same laws apply.How The Program WorksFor families or individuals with a voucher, there are six steps to participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. They are:Issuance of voucherHousing SearchHousing Quality Standards (HQS) InspectionRent Reasonableness DeterminationExecution of Lease and HAP ContractRent & Housing Assistance Payments beginProperty owners and managers become involved at the second stage of the program-when the family with a voucher schedules an appointment to view an apartment or house for rent.If the tenant likes the unit and also passes the owner's screening process, the owner will submit a Request for Tenancy Approval Packet or RFTA to CHAC. CHAC will contact the owner within 3 working days of receiving the paperwork to schedule a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection.The inspection process is designed to ensure that subsidized housing meets a minimum set of health and safety standards established by the federal government. Generally, the inspection is scheduled within 3 to 5 working days of the date that the owner indicates the unit will be ready. To assist owners in preparing units and expediting the inspection process, CHAC has prepared a self-inspection checklist. You can download a copy now.After the unit passes inspection, the rent requested by the owner is reviewed to make sure that it is reasonable, compared to similar units in the neighborhood based on size, amenities and other factors. At this point, the tenant is ready to move in. The owner will sign a lease with the tenant and a Housing Assistance Payment or HAP contract with CHAC.The HAP contract is the legal relationship between CHAC and the owner. The document outlines the rights and responsibilities of each under the voucher program. CHAC's major responsibility to the owner is to make monthly payments on the tenant's behalf in a timely manner; the owner's major responsibility is to abide by landlord/tenant laws and keep the unit in good condition.
How do I qualify for low-income housing?
If you are on disability you can qualify for low income housing. If you are a single parent with kids you can also qualify. You must apply for low income rent housing and you must qualify. Typically you have to be below the 50% median income level to qualify for hud section 8 rental housing.
Great Housing for Affordable Prices: Section 8 Apartments?
Some people wonder how others can afford to live in some of the priciest cities in the country, such as Malibu or Manhattan. Due to the Housing Voucher Choice Program, there are federal regulations that require lower income individuals to be housed in expensive apartments. Essentially, some people live in very expensive apartments but pay only a fraction of the rent due to federal laws. If you are interested in Section 8 apartments, then there are some considerations you should keep in mind before embarking on the process. Section 8 only provides housing to individuals that are low-income renters or homeowners. One simply must have a low income, otherwise he or she is not eligible to partake in this federal program. The program provides rent subsidies for low income individuals only. The way income is determined is through a calculation. A person must earn an income that is below 50% of the area’s median income. In places like Manhattan, this often means that many people are able to qualify for having a low income and thus getting a Section 8 apartment can be a very tricky process. Many people wonder how to apply for Section 8 housing. It is a very simple process. A person must simply write a letter to the apartment building requesting an application for Section 8 housing. Any new apartment building is required to provide 20% of its apartments to low income individuals. The trick is that these apartments go very quickly, since many people know about this rule. It is wise to get letters mailed as soon as possible, so one does not miss the lottery dates. Often, a lottery is drawn to decide who gets to live in the lower income parts of an expensive apartment building due to the large numbers of people applying for the Section 8 apartment. A person is only required to pay at a minimum, 30% of his or her income for rent. The voucher program will then cover the rest of the rent that needs to be covered. This means people can live in apartments valued at $5,000 and only have to pay a few hundred dollars to live in the apartment. Section 8 apartments are definitely worth researching and can save people thousands of dollars in the long run.
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What does section 8 housing consider the minimum requirements for a bedroom?
A bedroom, under federal housing quality standards: must have a window that allows natural daylight to enter and through which a person can escape in case of emergency; must have at least one light fixture installed on the ceiling; must have a door that opens and closes; must have a closet for storage of clothing; and must be at least 75 ft.².
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What is the minimum bedroom size for a mother and daughter with section 8 housing?
Two bedrooms
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Where can you find a list of requirements for section 8 housing in Maryland?
Every Housing Authority has its own list of qualifications for which a person can receive a voucher or public housing. You will need to check with the Housing Authority in that location for specific qualifications. Many of the qualifications fall under federal guidelines, while housing authorities are free to develop their own qualification criteria according to Housing Authority standards. If you're asking this question as a landlord, the guidelines are the same across the board: the home must meet minimum housing quality standards for a decent, safe, and sanitary home. I'm not going to list those standards here but you can check with your local Housing Authority for specifics.
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