As a Housing Choice Voucher landlord, you choose your own tenants. You will gain free advertising and marketing of your units and experience less turnover. There is minimal paperwork involved and steady monthly rent payments. You are also helping our community by reducing homelessness and offering housing stability for those in need!
Payment Standards – In the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, payment standards are used in the calculation of the housing assistance payment (HAP) that the Public Housing Agency (PHA) pays to the owner on behalf of the family leasing the unit. Payment Standard is the maximum monthly assistance payment for a family assisted in the voucher program (before deducting the total tenant payment by the family). Scroll down to view our Landlord PowerPoint to see the current Payment Standard table.
Utility Allowances– The amount that a Public Housing Authority (PHA) determines is necessary to cover the resident's reasonable utility costs. Such allowances are estimates of the expenses associated with different types of utilities and their uses. The utilities for which allowances may be provided include electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, wood or coal, and water and sewage service, as well as garbage collection. The functions, or end-uses, covered by an allowance may include space heating, water heating, cooling, refrigeration, lighting, or appliances. Allowances are not provided for telephone service.
Utility allowances can be small or large, ranging from less than $10 to over $200 for a resident household per month, depending on the PHA, the number of utilities and uses covered, and the dwelling unit and/or household size.
Whether a household receives an allowance for a given utility service generally depends on the way the utilities are metered. For more information on Utility Allowances see HUD.gov.
Calculating Payments – "Rent Reasonableness" When calculating rent the following factors will be considered: the current payment standard, the number of bedrooms in the unit versus what the client is eligible for, utilities, and rent comparables.
Request for Tenancy Approval –
A form that the individual/family gives to the landlord. The landlord completes and returns to the PHA to initiate the process of family move-in.
Expect to be asked to provide:
- Name of PHA
- Address of unit, and number of bedrooms, and year constructed
- Request start lease date
- Proposed rent
- Amount of security deposit
- Date the unit will be available for inspection
- Unit structure type
- Unit subsidy (if any)
- The type of utilities and appliances to be supplied by the landlord and also the utilities and appliances to be supplied by the family
- Certification that unit rent is comparable other unassisted owned units
- Certification that landlord is not family member related to family as described in RFTA
- Unit’s lead-based paint status
- Signatures, dates, telephone numbers, and mailing addresses of landlord and individual/family
How to list a Unit - We encourage you to check out illinoishousingsearch.org to list your unit.
