The Process
New Owner/Agent attends a Landlord Orientation held at Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS).
At the Landlord Orientation, owner/agent will receive a “Landlord Packet” containing all necessary documents and sample forms for participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Once a family has received a voucher from FWHS, the family will begin the search for a proper housing unit from the private sector using affordablehousing.com or any other services they wish to use.
The client will provide the prospective landlord with a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form. Both the client and the landlord are required to fill in ALL information on the RFTA and both should be aware that there are certain guidelines for participation in the program. This includes but is not limited to:
- The owner is responsible for screening the client prior to leasing.
- The owner must provide the following (forms are available online at www.fwhs.org):
- A copy of their Warranty Deed or Settlement Statement (Settlement Statement must contain both seller and buyer’s signature to be acceptable) or Tarrant Appraisal District Print Out from www.tad.org
- Direct Deposit form (Please be sure and confirm the routing number with your financial institutions to avoid delay in receipt of your rental payment.)
- Copy of Article of Organization (if you will be operating as an LLC, Inc, or DBA)
- W-9 (one from the owner and one from the agent, if agent will be the payee)
- Copy of the payee’s social security card or Assigned Tax ID letter; LTR 147C
- Affidavit of Assignment of Agent (if there will be one)
- The owner will use their own lease and attach the Tenancy Addendum provided by FWHS to it.
- The owner may collect a security deposit, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not permit an owner to collect an amount that would exceed the amount of one month’s contract rent and requires that the deposit requested be no more than that being currently charged by the landlord for unassisted units. Security deposit is paid by the client. Collection of the security deposit is strictly between the owner/agent and the prospective tenant.
The RFTA must be returned to the Fort Worth Housing Solutions Lease Up Team at RFTA@fwhs.org either in person or via email. (The sooner this form is returned, the sooner the property can be scheduled for inspection.)
Once the RFTA has been received by FWHS, it is entered into the system and assigned to an inspector. The inspector will determine that the property/unit meets the rent and inspection guidelines as required by HUD. The field inspector will also perform a preliminary rent reasonableness test to determine if the contract rent the owner is requesting is reasonable for the subject property.
The inspector will then contact the owner/agent to set up a date for inspection and discuss the issue of Rent Reasonableness if necessary. On this initial inspection, the owner/agent must be present to receive a copy of the Tenancy Addendum, which will need to be attached to the client’s lease.
At the time of inspection, all utilities must be turned on (at this time, utilities will still be in the property owner’s name) and all appliances present for the unit to pass inspection.
- Once the property has PASSED inspection and the utility verifications have been submitted, the inspector will perform a final rent reasonableness test to verify that the requested contract rent is comparable to similar unassisted properties in the immediate area. The owner/agent will then receive a Move-In Approval Form/Tenancy Addendum (by email or in person) from the FWHS Inspections Department.
- At the time the lease is signed between the owner/agent and the tenant, a copy of the Tenancy Addendum provided by HUD must be attached to the owner’s lease, and it should state clearly in the lease, “Tenancy Addendum Attached is a Part of This Lease.”
- FWHS will prepare the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract within five working days after receipt of all aforementioned information from the property owner.
- The signed HAP contract must be promptly returned to FWHS with a copy of the lease.
- Rental assistance payments will not begin until the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract has been returned and executed by FWHS.
- HAP payments are deposited around the first of each month; however, the initial payment for a new contract is paid following the receipt of the fully executed lease and the HAP contract PROVIDED all documents have been received. HAP payments are generated on the 1st and 15th day of each month.
- The landlord should register online to view monthly detail statements/inspection results at the partner portal. New landlords will be able to create an account after receiving their first payment.
- Based on the FWHS calculation of rent, the client will be responsible for paying a portion of the rent directly to the landlord (generally 30% of their income). FWHS will pay the balance of the rental subsidy to the landlord by direct deposit the first of each month.
If you have any questions concerning the inspection or new contract process and/or if you are interested in attending a Landlord Orientation, please don’t hesitate to email us at landlordservices@fwhs.org.
Thank you.