RENTAL VOUCHER HOLDERS select a unit from
the private rental market. Rental assistance
makes market rate housing affordable. Program
participants normally pay no more than 30%
of monthly adjusted income towards rent
and utilities. The Housing Assistance payment
subsidizes the balance of the rent to the
property owner. The Program is funded by
the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and administered by the
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority
(RRHA).
| HOW
DO I MAKE A UNIT AVAILABLE TO VOUCHER
HOLDERS? |
|
You may call the Assisted Housing Office
to have the unit listed on RRHA's list of
available units. You may also advertise
in the newspaper with the phrase "will
accept Section 8." Our families look
for those listings.
| • |
LANDLORD
SCREENS TENANTS
You must screen the prospective tenant
carefully to insure you are making
a good selection. When one of our families
contacts you, we can only certify to
you their income eligibility for the
program. We cannot provide a reference
as to their expected behavior as tenants.
You may use any or all of the following
screening procedures:
o Credit Check
o Criminal Check
o Rent Paying Habits
o Landlord References
o Home Visits
o Housekeeping Habits
|
We encourage all of the above screening
methods as long as you do not discriminate.
Discrimination includes any tenant selection
based in race, color, religion, ancestry,
sex, country of birth, handicap or familial
status. The prohibition against discrimination
based on familial status makes it illegal,
in most circumstances, to refuse to
allow children to live in a residential
unit.
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| • |
REQUEST
FOR TENANCY APPROVAL
When you have selected a tenant he/she
will have a "Request for Tenancy
Approval" form for you to complete.
When the tenant submits the Leasing
Packet to our office, a housing representative
will contact you to schedule an inspection,
after all necessary information is verified.
|
| • |
INSPECTION
AND RENT
The unit will be inspected to insure
that it meets HUD Housing Quality Standards.
You will also be given a copy of the
inspection repair list, if applicable.
|
| • |
LEASE
AND CONTRACT
After the unit passes
inspection and the rent has been
approved, the landlord and tenant
enter into a lease for an initial
term of one year. The RRHA and
the landlord sign a Housing Assistance
Payments Contract through which
the rent is assisted on behalf
of the tenant.
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| • |
CAN
I COLLECT A SECURITY DEPOSIT?
o Yes
o The Housing Authority prohibits
security deposits in excess of
private practice, or in excess
of amounts charged by the owner
to unassisted tenants.
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| • |
WHAT
IS THE TERM OF THE LEASE AND CONTRACT?
After one year,
the lease is renewed for a specified
time period (ex. month-to-month,
six months, etc.). The tenant
may vacate with a notice after
the term of the lease expires.
If the tenant remains in the unit,
the tenant is recertified for
eligibility and the unit is inspected
for Housing Quality Standards
annually, at which time the landlord
may request an annual adjustment
rent increase, which must be approved
by RRHA.
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| • |
Maintain
your property in good condition. Complete
repairs within a reasonable amount of
time upon request by the housing authority
or your tenant, 24 hours for emergencies.
The amount of time that is considered
reasonable depends on the nature of
the problem.
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| • |
Set
reasonable rules about use of unit and
common areas.
|
| • |
Do
not enter a unit without tenant's permission
and proper notice except for emergencies
or tenant requested repairs.
|
| • |
Collect
appropriate security deposit as directed
under the program and use it only as
directed under the program and use it
only as directed by state law.
|
| • |
Comply
with equal opportunity requirement.
|
| • |
Enforce
family obligations under the lease.
|
| • |
Expect
your tenant to:
o Pay rent on time
o Keep unit clean
o Avoid illegal activity
o Permit access for repairs
o Avoid damage to property
o Refrain from disturbing
others
o Allow only those occupants
on the lease to reside in
the unit
|
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| • |
Comply
with the terms and conditions of lease
and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)
contract.
|
| • |
Take
action through Magistrate's Court to
evict when tenant violates the lease. |
| Contact RRHA at (804) 780-4361 TTY - Dial 711 or fax us at (804) 644-1445
or email us at info@rrha.com.
We will be glad to forward an enrollment
packet for landlords. |
