Winter 2014 Information for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Landlords
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Federal Laws Landlords Need to Know As a landlord on the Housing Choice Your pet policies, such as requiring an additional deposit, do not apply to disabled renters with Voucher program, you must comply service/assistance animals. A service/assistance with rules set by the Department of animal is considered a reasonable accommodation Housing and Urban Development under Fair Housing laws. If you have questions and Idaho Housing and Finance regarding Fair Housing law or service/assistance Association. You also should be aware animals, you can link to Fair Housing resources at housingidaho.com, the Idaho Fair Housing Forum of federal laws that apply to service (fairhousingforum.org), or the Intermountain Fair animals, foreclosures, and domestic Housing Council (ifhcidaho.org). violence in order to maintain legal Domestic Violence compliance as a landlord. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protects victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. For people who receive Section 8 rental assistance vouchers, this law means that they cannot be denied admission to housing or have assistance terminated because they’re victims of violence. This protection does not extend to lease terminations for violations that are not based on domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Although this act is primarily for assisted housing, owners participating in the Section 8 program are required to comply with VAWA. For the complete text of VAWA, please see Public Law 109-162 (Title VI, Sections 606 and 607).
To sign up, go to idahohousing.com and click on “Rental Assistance” on the left-hand side of the page then click “Resources for Landlords.” In addition to signing up for the email list, you can link to other resources, download direct-deposit forms, register to have your rental assistance payments delivered electronically, or email us your ideas or suggestions.
Fair Housing and Service/ Assistance Animals
Resources for landlords: Get helpful information and more by clicking the link under “Rental Assistance” at idahohousing.com.
Laws landlords need to know
Many disabled renters have animals that assist them physically or emotionally. These service/ assistance animals are not considered pets under Fair Housing laws. Service/assistance animals provide “meaningful access” to rental assistance programs and remove barriers to the “equal opportunity to enjoy” a rental unit.
Foreclosures The 2009 Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act makes new owners of a foreclosed property subject to any existing Section 8 leases and any existing contracts. The new owner must comply for the remainder of the lease or give 90-day notices for leases with 90 days or less remaining. One exception is if the new owner wants to occupy a unit as his or her primary residence.
www.idahohousing.com
ProgramSense Compulsive hoarding is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by the excessive acquisition or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of a home and cause significant distress or impairment.
Compulsive hoarding can put tenants at risk of fire, falls, and other heath problems.
RentSense Published annually by Idaho Housing and Finance Association. Comments are welcome. Please contact IHFA Rental Assistance at 800.219.2286. Visit our website at idahohousing.com 2.5M0214
Some hoarding behavior may be a result of mental illness, specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder. Experts have associated compulsive hoarding behavior with health risks, impaired functioning, economic burden, and adverse effects on friends and family members. Hoarding often can prevent or limit activities such as cooking, cleaning, moving through a home, and sleeping. It can also be dangerous if it puts people at risk from fire, falls, unsanitary conditions, and other health concerns.
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Contact Us
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Email . . . rentalassistance@ihfa.org
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Understanding Hoarding and Housing Quality Standards For participants in the Section 8 program, this disorder can lead to termination of assistance for failure to abide by Housing Quality Standards (HQS) during an inspection of the assisted unit. If that happens and assistance is terminated, the participant will be responsible for the full amount of the rent for the duration of the lease term. As a landlord, independent inspections of a renter’s unit (with appropriate notice as noted in your lease agreement) can head off this problem. If you feel that your renter is engaging in this behavior, you should enforce the terms of your lease and notify the Idaho Housing and Finance Association branch in your area of your actions.
Learn About Fair Housing Idahoans have a new resource to help them understand their rights and responsibilities under the federal Fair Housing Act. Four animated videos commissioned by Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) help viewers understand the basics of fair housing, recognize discrimination, report possible violations, and promote accessibility. Watch the videos, in English and Spanish, at idahohousing.com and fairhousingforum.org.
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