LANDLORD INFORMATION
WHEN A PARTICIPANT IS INTERESTED IN YOUR UNIT
- Please screen all applicants the same.
- Mid-Columbia Housing Authority only screens for Housing Choice Voucher program eligibility, including:
- Income Level and Type
- Citizenship Status
- Debts Owed to any other housing authorities
- Mid-Columbia Housing Authority will verify program participation and provide you with prior landlord contact information, if known.
REQUEST FOR TENANCY APPROVAL (RFTA)
- Participants you accept as tenants will have the following:
- Housing Choice Voucher
- Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA)
- Complete the RFTA and Disclosure of Lead-based Paint forms, MCHA mails the landlord the Lead-based Paint form.
When completed forms are received, Mid-Columbia Housing Authority does the following:
- Completes an affordability test to make sure the unit is affordable for the client during the initial year the rent plus utilities cannot be more than 40% of the participants monthly adjusted income.
- Inspector contacts you to schedule an Initial Inspection for Housing Quality Standards.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS INSPECTION
- An initial inspection is required prior to approving and paying subsidy for a unit.
- After receiving RFTA, the goal is to complete the initial inspection within 1 to 15 days.
- Be present at the initial inspection.
- Ensure the rental unit is ready for occupancy
- All utilities on
- Appliances are present
FOCUS ON UNIT BEING DECENT, SAFE, AND SANITARY
- No deteriorating paint in units build prior to 1978
- No electrical hazards
- Functioning heat and plumbing systems
- Emergency egress from bedrooms or other rooms that could be used for sleeping.
- Sound walls, floors, ceilings
- Smoke alarms
- Carbon monoxide detector recommended
WE LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING ON BUILDING EXTERIOR
- Foundations
- Stairs, rails, and porches, including height protection
- Roof and gutters
- Exterior surfaces: paint, siding
- Chimney, if present
HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENT (HAP) CONTRACT
AFTER THE UNIT PASSES INSPECTION AND IS APPROVED
- You may enter into a Lease with your approved tenant. Please submit a signed copy to Mid-Columbia Housing Authority.
- We will prepare the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract and send to you for appropriate signatures.
- The start date of the HAP Contract and Housing Assistance Payments will be the Lease start date or the day after the unit passed inspection, whichever is later.
- The initial Lease term should be the standard lease term you offer all your tenants.
Payment:
- Housing Authority pays landlord percentage of the rent via direct deposit the first of the month.
- If you are a new Landlord participating in the program you must submit W-9 tax information prior to payment.
- The family pays the landlord directly their percentage of rent.
- A percentage of a household’s gross monthly income is used in the rent calculation.
- Currently 30% of adjusted gross monthly income to calculate rent breakdown between the household and housing authority.
Lease Enforcement:
- If you issue a notice of violation, lease termination, or eviction to tenant, submit a copy to Mid-Columbia Housing Authority.
- Warning letter sent to participant
- Notice of termination from program
- Informal conference
Please help us maintain and improve program integrity!
Landlord rent increases:
- At the end of the initial Lease term, if you plan to increase your contract rent, you must submit to Mid-Columbia Housing Authority a 60-day written notice if your unit is located in Washington and a 90-day written notice if your unit is located in Oregon of the proposed rent increase.
- HUD requires housing authorities to complete a Rent Reasonableness Test to ensure the proposed rent is consistent with rents in the private market for an equivalent unit.
- The housing authority must conduct this test and then give the participant a 30-day written notice of the resulting change in their rent portion.
