Frequently Asked Questions

People who wish to receive rental assistance must apply to get on the wait list. Families are taken off the list on a first-come, first-served basis. We do not have emergency assistance. We can only help as many people as we have funding available.

No. Anyone can apply to get on the wait list.

No. This kind of screening is the landlord’92s responsibility. We strongly urge you to pursue the same diligence in screening applicants with Section 8 assistance as you would all other applicants for your units.

Yes. When you are considering renting to an assisted family, there are certain forms to fill out. Once our office receives those, we will give you the family’92s current address, current landlord’92s name and address, and previous landlord’92s name (if known). With a signed release form, you can receive additional rental history information from a family’92s file.

Yes, as long as it’s reasonable and not more than you charge unassisted tenants. HUD regulations state that the security deposit has to be refundable. You cannot collect both a refundable security deposit and a cleaning deposit, nor can you collect a last month’s rent. The family is responsible for paying their security deposit. The Housing Authority does not provide assistance for security deposits. If the family damages the unit beyond normal wear and tear, you will need to take payment for those damages from the security deposit.

The Housing Authority will begin assistance on the day the unit passes a Housing Quality Standards inspection and the family takes possession of the unit. It’s very important that you let our office know the exact date that you give the family possession (keys and the ability to move in). It usually takes our office five working days to process the paperwork that includes the Housing Assistance Payment Contract and your lease/rental agreement. We will fill in the effective dates on the HAP Contract, the lease, and the HUD lease addendum. Once all parties sign the paperwork, your payment will be released. You will be paid a prorated portion effective the day assistance began.

The effective dates on the HAP Contract, the lease/rental agreement, and the HUD lease addendum have to be the same. Since we won’92t know the effective date until the unit passes a HQS inspection and the family takes possession of the unit, we ask that you let us fill in that part of the lease once we are sure of the actual date. Since you have submitted an unexecuted copy of your lease/rental agreement to us and it won’92t be ready for signature for several days, we suggest that you have the tenant sign an additional lease for your records before you give them possession of the unit. Even though you will be using two lease forms, you are certain to have a signed lease before the tenant moves in.

Effective June 17, 1998, the Housing Authority is prohibited from entering into a contract on behalf of a family if the owner is the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister, or brother of any member of the family. The only exception is if the Housing Authority determines that the unit would provide a reasonable accommodation for a family member who is a person with disabilities.

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.

Just because there are no minors in the household does not mean that the family is not eligible to receive rental assistance. If there is a change in family size, and the family is now living in a unit that is too large for their needs, they may have to move.