Landlords

Because the family is given a ‘utility allowance’ for resident-paid utilities, it’s important that HADCO knows who is responsible for which utilities. If the renter or landlord wants to change what is stated on the lease, please contact the Section 8 Representative assigned to the renter.

Currently there is no time limit for receiving assistance. If a family is able to pay their entire rent for 180 days, the contract will automatically terminate and the family will no longer have rental assistance.

We encourage you to inspect your property with proper notice to the family (as required by state law). This will ensure regular maintenance and encourage proper tenant up-keep. Please don’t rely on the Housing Authority’92s yearly Housing Quality Standards inspection to keep you up-to-date on the condition of your unit.

If the new owner wishes to keep the same tenant and continue to work with the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program, you and the new owner will need to sign an Assignment of Contract form, which is available at our office. If the assisted tenant is in the first year of the lease, the new owner must assume the contract. If the new owner does not want to participate in the Section 8 program, after the first year, if it is stipulated in the lease, the new owner can give the tenant a 60-day no-cause notice.

Please give the Housing Authority a copy of all written notices and warnings or eviction notices you give an assisted family. You must also notify the Housing Authority if your tenant vacates the unit in violation of the lease.

Notices of termination during the first year must be for cause. After the first year, if it is stipulated in your lease, you may give a 60-day no-cause notice. Leases signed before October 2, 1995, are endless and you must always list a cause when giving notices of termination.

You can evict a tenant if they are damaging your unit. In addition, if a tenant damages a unit beyond normal wear and tear, they can lose their rental assistance. If this happens, please contact our office and report the damage to the unit including any charges to the tenant for those damages. Contracts executed prior to October 2, 1995, have a damage claim provision. If a tenant who was under lease prior to that date vacates the unit and leaves damages beyond normal wear and tear, please call our office within five days of taking possession of the unit so that we can do a damage claim inspection. For contracts signed after October 2, 1995, the family is responsible for paying for any damages they leave. The State of Oregon recently established a fund for reimbursing landlords for damages to units caused by Section 8 Voucher holders. For additional information, please see http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/housing-choice-landlord-guarantee-assistance.aspx.

No, law prohibits us from giving legal advice. Please deal with assisted tenants in the same way you would those who do not have rental assistance. Please familiarize yourself with the Oregon Landlord/Tenant Law and keep current with any damages. In some cases, you may need to seek legal help.

No. The Housing Authority is not a party to the lease’97only the housing payment contract. This means our office cannot help you enforce the lease. This is your responsibility just as it would be for other non-assisted tenants. If you report that the family is violating a program rule, then we will investigate. This doesn’92t mean that you can’92t and shouldn’92t take action as their landlord. For example, if you suspect there are more people living in the unit than stated on the lease, you should call us and give us that information. Allowing persons not on the lease to live in the assisted unit is a violation of a family obligation, and it is also a lease violation. You can take action as the landlord because the family is violating the lease. Keep in mind that if the Housing Authority terminates a family’92s eligibility, that does not mean they will automatically vacate your unit.

Families have to meet certain obligations to continue to receive rental assistance. These include, but are not limited to, attending scheduled appointments, not being involved in drug-related or violent criminal activity, and not damaging their unit beyond normal wear and tear. If the Housing Authority receives documentation that the family has violated a ’93family obligation,’94 we can terminate the family’92s eligibility. You will always receive a 30-day notice if the contract is terminated because the family is no longer eligible.