Why & How Do I Become a HCV Landlord?

Why Become a Landlord?

Participation in CMHA’s HCV Program provides all of the following benefits:

• Guaranteed Rent Payments –   CMHA will pay your Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the portion of the rent that covers the gap between what the resident can afford to pay based on income and what the market demands — on time every month and paid directly to you via direct deposit.
• How Do You Pay?  CMHA pays directly to a landlord via direct deposit.  No lost checks in the mail or lost time going to the bank to deposit the funds.
• How Much Does CMHA Pay Out Monthly? CMHA pays out over $450,000 a month, or nearly $5.5 million dollars annually, to assist families on our various voucher programs.  Most of these funds are sent directly into the Clermont County economy through rent to private owners and payments made on behalf of our families directly to local utility companies.
• How Many Families Do You Assist?  CMHA provides rental assistance to over 900 families between our three voucher programs (HCV, NED, and HUD-VASH)
• Free Advertising! – Advertise your available property for free on Gosection8.com or contact CMHA to be added to our online landlord listing.
• Contracts – You sign a contract with the Housing Authority and a Lease with the resident. Your relationship with the resident is virtually like that of any other resident on the open market.
• Rent Review Request Form 2023 –  Like private, market rent families, a landlord can request a rent adjustment after the initial lease is completed and once every 12-months thereafter.   There is no longer the need for the owner to time their rent adjustments with the family’s annual inspection or annual recertification.
• Biennial Inspections – CMHA is no longer required to inspect units that meet HQS requirements annually for existing families under HAP Contract as part of the annual recertification process.  The units will undergo inspection biennial unless there is a complaint or reported HQS violation that requires an inspection.

How Do I Become a Landlord?

1. Contact Us.   Our staff is more than happy to discuss the benefits of being a landlord with you.  You may contact Becky Richardson, HCV Coordinator, by phone 513-732-6010 x 223 or by email at brichardson@clermontmha.org  (HCV Coordinator).  Additional opportunities to meet with the Executive Director, Alicia Morlatt, will be made available once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
2. The rental unit should at least meet minimum basic Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and be ready for occupancy.
3. Among other advertisements, you can list your unit for availability free of charge at www.GoSection8.com.
4. Screen potential assisted residents as you would a potential unassisted resident.
5. Fill out the Tenant’s Request for Tenancy Addendum (RTA) Packet completely and return it to CMHA.
6. The RTA will undergo two tests regarding the contract rent.  These tests are 1) affordability and 2) rent reasonableness to determine the contract rent.  The rent of the unit will be the lower of:    a) affordability, which is based on the tenant’s adjusted gross income,   b) the reasonable rent, which is based on the market rents of comparable units in the area, and c) the requested contract rent by the owner.
7. Once the contract rent is determined to be approved under program rules, the unit then must pass the Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection. See attached form for HQS Initial Inspection Flow Chart (https://www.clermontmha.org/files/2021/03/HQSInitialInspectionFlowchart.pdf) Starting on 10/1/2024, CMHA will be converting to NSPIRE-V inspections for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV). HUD offers more information here for NSPIRE-V inspections: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/reac/nspire
8. Once the unit passes inspection, the owner/family will inform CMHA of the anticipated “move-in-date” and execute a Residential Lease Agreement.
9. The owner will send to CMHA a copy of the  HAP Contract, Tenancy Addendum and Residential Lease agreement signed by the owner and the family.  Once CMHA receives a correct copy of each document, payments will be released to the owner on CMHA’s next regularly scheduled check run.  CMHA has two check runs – on or about the first and on or about the fifteenth of each month.

HUD HCV Landlord Resources