Landlords

With funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HACH’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program helps low-income households choose and pay for quality housing in the private market by paying a portion of their rent.

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (HCV) INSPECTIONS

As explained in HACH’s HCV Program Administrative Plan, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all units subsidized under the Housing Choice Voucher Program meet a minimum standard of health and safety rules called Housing Quality Standards (HQS). To ensure compliance, HACH or its contractors must inspect any unit a Voucher holder wants to rent before they move in and as required thereafter.

 Housing Choice Voucher Program Benefits to Landlords:

• Guaranteed monthly assistance payments as long as owner and participant are in compliance with the program requirements
• Direct Deposit of assistance payments
• You choose who you want to rent to
• Annual inspections by HACH
• Collect a Security deposit (State allowed amount)
• Use of your own rental lease

• • Past rental history              
  • Review credit history              
  • Perform an on the spot home visit             
  • Review a criminal and eviction background at Case Look-up CT Judicial Branch

Choose a participant and complete the Moving Package provided by the participant/applicant
Turn in the Moving Package to HACH.
An affordability determination will be conducted to determine if the participant/applicant can afford to rent the unit at the requested rent.
A rent reasonableness determination will be completed to determine if the rent requested is reasonable.
HACH determines rent reasonableness based on market comparable rents for similar units throughout the City of Hartford area by using Nelrods  EZ-Reasonable Rent Determination website (EZRRD).  

The following housing factors are to be considered when determining reasonable rent:

• Location
• Number of Bedrooms
• Number of Bathrooms
• Housing Type
• Utilities (furnished or unfurnished)
• Condition of unit 
• Appliances (Stove and/or Refrigerator)
• Parking (Off Street/Garage)
• Amenities
• Air Conditioning (Window or Central)  

Inspections Department will call owner to schedule an initial inspection date and time. If the unit does not pass inspection the Housing Authority will notify the owner of the deficiencies and the owner must contact the Housing Authority within 30 days to request a reinspection. Once the inspection passes the inspection booklet is given to the assigned Program Specialist who will determine the approval of tenancy and call the owner to determine the beginning date of the lease. Housing Assistance Payment Contract will be completed sent to the owner for signature
Lease and Contract must be returned to the Housing Authority for execution within 60 days of the effective date, payment will be released when Lease and Contract are received, reviewed, and executed
For further information regarding the program you may contact the Housing Choice Voucher Program office at (860) 723-8400.

Housing Assistance Payments
HACH processes Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) between the first and the fifth of each month; any retro assistance payments will be paid with the first of the month’s processing. HACH is obligated to make payments to the owner of the contracted unit. If an owner has an agreement with a Management Company HACH will require a copy of the Management agreement and will only send correspondence to the Management Company.  It is the responsibility of the owner to contact the Housing Authority when there is a change in Management Companies.

HACH will set up a direct deposit account, for deposit of monthly Housing Assistance Payments, designated by the owner, not the Management Company. Any changes to the account must be received from the owner at least five (5) business days prior to the first of each month.  If payment is made to an account managed by the Management Company and the HA was not notified of a change as stated above, it will be the owners responsibility to retrieve the assistance payment from the Management Company. Only one Direct Deposit account will be set up for each owner.

HACH  provides a LANDLORD PORTAL for owners of the program. As a registered owner or property manager you will be able to manage your units and families online and obtain various information, including list your vacant apartment review inspection appointments and results, download payment statements, tax forms, and more. 
If you are not a current participating owner and you would like to list your apartment please register here as a guest landlord and list your vacant unit.