Rental Assistance: Prospective Landlords
A Guide for Prospective Landlords - Johnson County Housing Authority
The voucher program assists eligible families with rent payments. Prospective tenants may shop for housing in any of the cities in our jurisdiction.
If you are interested in listing a unit with the Housing Authority, please send the following information to the address or fax above:
- Address of unit
- Number of bedrooms
- Rental Amount / when available
- Type of Unit: apartment, house, mobile home, duplex, townhouse
- Contact person
- Telephone number
Johnson County Housing Authority
12425 W. 87th Street Parkway, Suite 200
Lenexa, KS 66215
(913) 715-6600 / VOICE
(913) 715-6633 / TTY
(913) 715-6630 / FAX
Prospective Tenants
Prospective Landlords
Family Self Sufficiency Program
What is the Section 8 Program?
Why should I participate?
What are the rents allowed under the program?
Are my rights as landlord changed when I participate in the program?
What kind of housing is eligible?
Can I occupy part of the property as an owner?
Do I sign a contract with the federal government?
Must I sign a contract?
Will the Housing Authority assist me in screening prospective tenants?
What are the responsibilities of the tenant?
Will I be buried in paperwork?
What are the responsibilities of each party landlord?
What are the responsibilities of each party tenant?
What are the responsibilities of each party housing authority?
What are the steps to becoming a part of this program?
What are the top 10 inspection requirements?
How do I inform tenants that I accept Section 8 vouchers?
What is the Section 8 Program?
A program that provides rent subsidies to extremely-low or very low-income families, including the elderly and persons with a disability. "Section 8" is the name given to a national housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under this program tenants rent an existing house, apartment, or mobile home from a private property owner. The dwelling was not specially built for housing assistance and has usually been rented previously to tenants not receiving such assistance.
The Housing Authority administers the program for the cities of De Soto, Edgerton, Gardner, Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Mission, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Spring Hill, Stilwell, and Westwood.
Why should I participate?
- You are the landlord.
- Tenants rent from you, not the Housing Authority.
- You will receive a prompt rent payment each month from the Housing Authority in addition to that which your tenant pays, based on tenant income.
- You will receive a reasonable rent for your unit.
- The Housing Authority makes certain that your property is safe, sound and sanitary.
- All tenants meet guidelines and adhere to federal and state regulations.
What are the rents allowed under the program?
The rent for your unit(s) will be based on your most recent rents charged and compared with rents charged for similar units.
Are my rights as landlord changed when I participate in the program?
No. You continue to choose tenants from applicants who contact you. You may still evict for good cause and maintain your property yourself.
What kind of housing is eligible?
All types of rental units are eligible: apartments, duplexes, town homes, condominiums, single houses and mobile homes.
Can I occupy part of the property as an owner?
Yes. You may occupy a separate unit and still have Section 8 HCV participants for other units in the building. You cannot occupy the same unit that is receiving a subsidy.
Do I sign a contract with the federal government?
No. You will contact a local government agency. The Housing Authority administers the Section 8 HCV Program.
Must I sign a contract?
Yes, but with a local agency and for only one year at a time. The Housing Assistance Payments contract (HAP) outlines Housing Authority guarantees and the responsibilities to which you and the Housing Authority have agreed for as long as your tenant is assisted with rent and occupies your unit.
Will the Housing Authority assist me in screening prospective tenants?
No. However, the Housing Authority must furnish you the last known address of the prospective tenant.
What are the responsibilities of the tenant I choose?
All tenants must abide by a lease, which requires prompt payments of rent, good care of the property, neighborliness and a 30-day notice of intent to vacate the unit.
Will I be buried in paperwork?
No. The Housing Authority handles most of the paperwork for you.
What are the responsibilities of the Landlord?
- Provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing at a reasonable rent.
- Comply with fair housing laws and equal opportunity requirements.
- Comply with the terms of the housing assistance payments Contract (Form HUD-52641).
- Ensure the unit continues to meet HQS requirements.
- Cooperate with the tenant by responding promptly to requests for needed repairs.
- Notify the Housing Authority of any program violations.
- Enforce the lease; collect the rent due, any security deposit and charges for damages to unit by the family.
- Screen families for suitability as renters.
- Provide modification to a dwelling unit occupied or to be occupied by a person with a disability. The Housing Authority can help with referrals to agencies that make funds available for modifications to units for disabled persons.)
- Notify the Housing Authority in writing of any address or telephone number changes.
- Notify the Housing Authority in writing of changes in ownership (selling property) or agents.
- The owner or landlord determines whether to require a security deposit and the amount of the deposit. If the owner or landlord collects a deposit, the amount collected may not be in excess of private market practice or in excess of amounts charged to unassisted tenants.
What are the responsibilities of the Housing Authority?
- Verify and review family composition and income to determine eligibility.
- Explain the rules of the program to the family and owner/landlord.
- Issue a Housing Choice Voucher to eligible family.
- Perform HQS inspection to ensure units meet minimum standards (initially, annually and interim.)
- Sign contract with owner/landlord on behalf of the family when the selected unit meets HQS requirements.
- Make housing assistance payments to the owner/landlord in a timely manner.
- Ensure owner/landlord and family continue to comply with program rules.
- Provide family and owner/landlord with prompt, courteous, accurate and professional service.
What are the steps to becoming a part of this program?
Step 1 - A family contacts you with a housing choice voucher for Section 8 HCV Rental Assistance in hand. Ask to see the housing choice voucher and check the expiration date (found in upper right hand corner.) If the date is current, the family is eligible for assistance. Give the voucher back to the family.
Step 2 - Owner or landlord screens the family for suitability as a renter. The Housing Authority only verifies family income and composition. The Housing Authority knows that the owner has approved a family for tenancy when we receive the request for tenancy approval (Form HUD-52517).
Step 3 - After owner/landlord approves the family, the family and landlord fill out the Request for Tenancy Approval, provided to the tenant by the Housing Authority. It must be completed in entirety and signed. The Housing Authority will review the signed request for tenancy approval and determine if the rent is affordable based on the family's income and if the rent is reasonable when compared to units in the private market (Rent Reasonableness). The landlord may be asked to provide documents showing the rent is comparable to other unassisted units.
A vendor form and W-9 form will also need to be filled out and signed by a first-time program participant landlord.
Step 4 - Once Step 3 has been completed and the unit is determined affordable and meets rent reasonableness requirements, the owner or landlord will receive a telephone call notifying of the inspection date and time.
If the unit does not meet HQS requirements, the owner or landlord will receive a list of repairs and a certain amount of time to make the repairs before re-inspection.
Once the unit passes inspection, the landlord and tenant should call the case manager assigned to the tenant to see when a legal lease agreement may be entered into. The Housing Authority will not enter into a housing assistance contract lease agreement after the 15th of the month. The Housing Authority will then enter into a HAP Contract with the owner/landlord, and the family will enter into a lease with landlord for the same day. After the contract and lease have been executed, the Housing Authority will begin payments to the owner or landlord for the Housing Authority's portion of the rent effective the date the contract is entered into. The Housing Authority will prorate the first month's contract rent payment (according to the days left in the month) and make all other payments in a timely manner.
What are the top 10 inspection requirements?
- All doors accessible from the outside and all windows must be lockable. (Also, no cracked glass or holes in screens.) (Screens required.)
- Any chipping, peeling, and loose paint must be removed from all interior and exterior surfaces with affected areas cleaned up appropriately. (This is a requirement regardless of the age of the unit or the tenant’s age.)
- Each bedroom must have an openable window.
- A working smoke detector is required on each level of the unit.
- All utilities must be turned on with all related items functioning properly and safely.
- Bathrooms must have a working exhaust vent or openable window.
- A handrail is required along four or more steps.
- Unit must have working stove with oven (all knobs present) and refrigerator. All built-in appliances must work properly.
- All floors must be clean and free from hazardous defects (tripping hazards, etc.).
- Electrical system must be free of any defects (no cracked or broken coverplates, globes or covers on light fixtures, no frayed or bare wires, etc.).
Although there are many housing quality requirements, these are the most obvious.
Human Services & Aging
11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite #1300
Olathe, KS 66061-7056
(913) 715-8800 : voice
(913) 715-8825 : fax
(913) 894-8822 : TTY