Are you a landlord interested in participating in the housing choice voucher program? Browse through our frequently asked questions.

Landlords are able to submit their listing of an available unit by going onto the website www.gosection8.com.

You must do your own tenant screening and test for suitability.

GHA has payment standards by bedroom size and there are guidelines for determining the maximum subsidy we can pay for a family. This payment standard is generally a gauge of the current rental market. However, each unit is evaluated by the inspector on a case-by-case basis. Each unit’s rent must be reasonable and comparable to unassisted private market rental units of similar size, location, amenities, quality, unit type, maintenance, utilities and services.

Download the current Payment Standards here >

All tenants are responsible for their own security deposit pursuant to state and local laws.

Once you have identified an acceptable Section 8 Participant, complete the Request For Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form & package that the tenant provides you with. Once that document is received in our office, a housing inspector will contact you to schedule an inspection of the unit. The lease may begin once the inspection is completed with a “passed” status.

The housing inspector will be checking to see whether the unit is in compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS). These are minimum standards that any unit rented under the Housing Choice Voucher program must meet.

You are free to use your own lease. However, HUD regulations require that the HUD Tenancy Addendum be attached to an owner provided lease. If the owner’s lease contradicts anything in the HUD Tenancy Addendum, the HUD addendum shall prevail.

After we have an executed lease and the Housing Assistance Payments Contract, the contract is processed for payment. The first check may take up to 60 days for payment. After the first payment is generated, subsequent checks are sent on the first of each month.

Each tenant is assigned a housing coordinator. The housing coordinator handles any matters concerning the family’s income or household composition and payments.

Yes. The GHA must inspect all participant units annually. This is generally done near the contract anniversary date. In addition, in the case of an emergency or complaint by the owner or tenant, a special inspection will be done.

No. Only the GHA can cancel the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract. An owner is free to terminate a lease agreement pursuant to the terms of the lease and applicable Florida law. Once the Lease agreement ends, the HAP Contract terminates automatically. In the case of malfeasance by the tenant, the owner is free to initiate eviction proceedings.

The initial lease term is for one year. After the initial term, the lease continues on a month-to-month basis indefinitely so long as HUD continues to provide the appropriations needed to fund the Section 8 Program.

Under normal circumstances, you may not lease to relatives, which is stated on the RFTA. You may only lease to relatives when the tenancy has been approved as a reasonable accommodation. This approval must come from GHA; no exceptions.

If you “the owner” wishes to have your HAP payment sent to someone other than yourself you will need to fill out and return the form Release of Owner or Co-Owner Liability for HAP Payments. This can include a spouse, co-owner, property manager at the property site, or a property management company, etc.

Rental increases can only be submitted at the time of a participant/tenant’s re-certification, which is only on an annual basis. Both parties will need to sign the rental increase forms, with the landlord completing all portions highlighted in green, and the participant all portions highlighted in yellow. Landlords will be notified every year when the participant annual recertification is approaching and will be responsible to submit the required forms prior to the participant scheduled recertification date for the request to be reviewed and granted. Rent reasonableness will be performed to verify the rent increase request is reasonable and are within our payment standards.