Rent limits. 

The  Fair Market Rents are published in the Federal Register each year and are effective each October. The rent amounts include all utilities. If the tenant will be paying all or some of the utilities, the rent amount need to be reduced.

Payment Standards  – October 2012

What does the family need to do?

The participating family is responsible to pay the rent and the utilities for which they are obligated under the lease. They are also responsible to follow all the terms of the lease. Serious or repeated lease violations can result in the termination of housing assistance under the federal regulations. If the family damages the rental unit beyond normal wear and tear, they are responsible to pay for the damages. The landlord must collect these damage amounts through the local court system.

What kind of rental unit qualifies? 

Any existing rental unit may be eligible; single family homes, condominiums, apartments, mobile homes, townhouses, duplexes, etc., located in Wayne and Pike Counties. All rental units must conform to Housing Authority Standards and meet local code requirements.

What does the landlord need to do? 

The landlord must attract a family that has already been determined as eligible and has been issued a Voucher by the Housing Authority. The landlord is responsible to screen the family for suitability as a tenant, just as they would any prospective tenant. If the landlord decides to rent to the family, a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) is completed and submitted to the Housing Authority.

Eligible families are given the RFTA at the time they are issued a Voucher. The Housing Authority schedules an inspection of the rental unit within 14 days of receiving the RFTA. If the unit meets Housing Quality Standards and the rent amount is approvable by standards set by HUD, the contract and lease are signed by the Housing Authority, the participant and the landlord.

The landlord is expected to collect a security deposit and the family’s share of the rent. The landlord is expected to maintain the property’s overall condition and see that the basic plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems, etc. are functioning properly. Should the family violate the terms of the lease or fail to pay the rent, the landlord needs to notify the Housing Authority so that they may take proper action and the landlord would then go through proper eviction procedures.