Owner

The owner may be a person or a business. In some cases, the owner might not manage their own property and may have a property manager, management company, or agent to operate on their behalf. The rights and responsibilities would be the same, regardless, and would include, but is not limited to: 

• Understand and comply with local tenant and landlord laws 
• Understand and comply with Fair Housing Laws and reasonable accommodation requirements 
• Determine if the tenant is suitable to rent the unit, including financial consideration for the subsidy they receive. 
• Ensure the unit rent is always reasonable and comparable to the private rental market. 
• Ensure the unit always meets the minimum housing quality standards required.  
• The landlord will make any necessary repairs to the unit to ensure the unit meets HUD’s housing quality standards. 
• The landlord will enter into a lease agreement with the tenant and act per the lease terms. 
• The landlord will enforce the terms of the lease agreement according to law. 
• The landlord may evict a family if they have the grounds to do so under the lease. 
• The landlord may request a rental increase with a 60–day written request to the agency after the first 12 months of the tenancy and per the lease.  
• Enter into a contract with the agency to receive housing assistance payments on behalf of the family and comply with the contract. 
• The landlord will follow all local housing laws and regulations. 

Compliance 

The landlord will enter a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract with the agency. Once the landlord signs the contract, they agree to comply with the program’s regulations in exchange for the housing assistance payments. If the landlord does not comply, the agency may stop payments to the landlord and take other enforcement actions per the contract. If the landlord falls out of compliance with the lease agreement, the tenant may pursue enforcement through legal channels as needed.