Landlord Info
When a family approaches you about renting your unit with Section 8 assistance you can verify they have assistance by asking to see their voucher. Check the expiration date to make sure it is still valid. You will need to screen the potential tenant family to make sure they fit your criteria. SICHA does not screen families for suitability of tenancy. You should use the same diligence in screening a Section 8 prospective tenant as you would with any non-assisted tenant.
The potential renter family will have some paperwork for you to complete such as the Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) and other required documents. This needs to be returned to our office along with a copy of an unexecuted (no dates) copy of your lease or rental agreement before we can schedule an inspection. When a family initially leases in a unit, they cannot be paying more than 40% of their adjusted monthly income towards rent and utilities. Each family is given an estimated rent shopping amount. If the family does not qualify for your unit because the rent amount is over their shopping amount, SICHA or the family will contact you to let you know.
The unit must pass an inspection before any assistance can be paid. See below for examples of what we look for when we inspect. If there are fail items when we do the initial inspection, you will have 30 days to correct them.
SICHA keeps a list of vacant units in our lobby. If you would like to list your unit with our agency, give us a call, come in during business hours or send us an email and we will contact you for the information. Please note that unit selection is family choice and listing your unit with our agency in no way guarantees it being rented.
- Providing affordable housing to families in Southwest Idaho
- Potential of long term tenancy
- Comparable rents
- Guaranteed partial payment of rent
- Ability to use your own lease
- Free advertising for your available properties
- Free annual inspection of your unit
HUD regulations require SICHA to inspect all HCV units prior to tenants moving into a unit and annually thereafter. This serves the purpose of ensuring the unit is “decent, safe and sanitary” according to federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS). No unit can be leased and subsidized unless these standards are met.
In evaluating a prospective unit for suitability, SICHA looks at the condition of the unit, but also the condition of the property site and quality of the surrounding neighborhood.
Please note that the following is only a general checklist of HQS requirements.
- Roof, fascia and foundation are all structurally sound and weather tight.
- All surfaces are free of peeling paint in units built before 1978 where children under the age of 6 live or are expected to live.
- Windows work properly, are weather tight and lockable.
- Stairs with four or more steps have handrails.
- Decks or porches 30” or more off the ground must have a railing with spacers no more than 4 – 6 inches apart.
- Exterior doors have locks designed for exterior use and door jambs are of sufficient quality to provide adequate security and doors are weather proof.
- Lawn and storage areas are free of garbage and debris.
- Fencing, if any, is in good repair; no protruding nails or sharp edges.
- All utilities are on and operating properly.
- Water heater is properly installed and operating. Water heater is equipped with a correct temperature-pressure relief valve according to the manufacturer’s specifications. A discharge pipe is installed on the valve within 6-24 inches of the ground or directed outside the living area.
- Plumbing is properly installed, leak-free and vented in accordance with building codes.
- Heating and cooling system is properly installed and operational.
- No exposed electrical wires or improper open spaces in electrical panels.
- Walls are clean, painted and free from holes. In units built before 1978 where children under the age of 6 live or are expected to live, there can be no peeling, chipping or loose paint.
- Unit is free of any trash or debris.
- All appliances (e.g. stove, refrigerator) are clean, fully operable and in place at the time of inspection.
- Each bedroom has at least two electrical outlets or one electrical outlet and an overhead light.
- Each bedroom has at least one window.
- Interior stairs with four or more steps have handrails with spacers no more than 4 – 6 inches apart.
- Electrical outlets, switches and light fixtures are in proper operating condition. All three-prong outlets are properly grounded or protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI).
- Smoke alarms are properly installed on each level of the unit near the bedrooms and are operational in accordance with NFPA.
- Carpet or other flooring are clean and free of tears/trip hazards.
- Ceilings, walls and floors are free from large cracks or holes, severe bulging and loose or falling surface material.
- Windows and doors are operable with no broken panes, must not be blocked, nailed shut or in any other condition that would prevent exit.
- Unit is free of mold and mildew.
When the Request for Lease Approval and the unexecuted proposed lease are turned into our office, we will give you the family’s current address, current landlord’s name and address and previous landlord’s name (if known).
Initially, the family will sign a one year lease with you. If your lease specifies, after the first year the tenancy can convert to month-to-month.
No to both unless the household contains a person with a disability and a reasonable accommodation has been granted. Federal regulations state that the owner (principal or other interested party) cannot be a parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister or brother of any member of the family unless SICHA has determined (and notified the owner and the family of such determination in writing) that approving rental of the unit would provide reasonable accommodation to a family member who is a person with disabilities.
Principal or interested party includes a management agent and other persons or entities participating in unit management, and the officers and principal members, shareholders, investors and other parties having a substantial interest in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract or in any proceeds of benefits arising from the HAP contract. If you have questions about your relationship with the proposed tenant family, you will need to contact our office to discuss this.
You can terminate your lease with a Section 8 family lease at any time for serious or repeated violation of the lease agreement.
When the family initially leases in your unit, you can collect a reasonable security deposit. HUD regulations state that you cannot charge a family a larger security deposit solely because they are receiving rental assistance. If there are damages to the unit, you will need to take the payment out of the security deposit, just as you would for any tenant. If the security deposit is insufficient to cover the damages you will need to pursue this matter with the tenant.
During the first year of the lease, you cannot raise the rent or change who is paying for what utilities. After the first year, you can raise the rent with a 60-day notice to the family and a copy to SICHA. SICHA must receive this notice at least 60-days prior to the effective date. If you wish to change responsibility for utilities, contact SICHA so we can review this procedure.
SICHA will notify you in writing what the family’s portion of rent is and what the SICHA subsidy is. You cannot collect more from the family than what SICHA states is their portion.
During the first year of the lease, the new owner must agree to assume the contract.
Phone: 208-585-9325
Fax: 208-585-9326
Business Hours
M-Th: 9:30am-12:00pm / 1:00pm-3:30pm
Address:
377 Cornell Street
Middleton, ID 83644