The Housing Choice Voucher Program Partnership works well when each player does his or her part. The players include you as the landlord, the tenant, and LHA. Specific responsibilities are outlined below.
Landlord
- Perform all management and rental functions for the assisted unit, including screening and selection of tenants.
- Maintain the unit in accordance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS), including performance of maintenance.
- Comply with equal opportunity/fair housing requirements.
- Prepare information required under the Housing Assistance Payments contract and furnish the information to LHA.
- Collect from the renter: security deposit, tenant portion of the rent, any charges for damages to the unit.
- Enforce the tenant obligations under the lease.
- Pay for utilities and services agreed upon in the lease.
- May not collect side payments from HCV renters or charge more than approved by LHA.
Tenant
- Supply information determined necessary by LHA or HUD to administer the program, including completion of scheduled income reviews.
- Pay utilities that are not supplied by the landlord.
- Provide and maintain the appliances for which they are responsible.
- Correct damages inflicted to unit by family member or guest, in specified time period.
- May not commit serious or repeated violation(s) of the lease.
- Notify LHA and the owner 30 (no more than 60) days in advance, prior to moving or terminating the lease.
LHA
- Pay landlord by the fifth day of each month.
- Regularly evaluate family eligibility.
- Inspect units at least once every year.
- Investigate potential fraud or program abuse by tenants or landlords.
- Provide quality customer service to HCV landlords and tenants.
- Notify landlord of any change in subsidy amount.