Landlord FAQs

• Your tenant cannot be in their initial 12-month lease term.
• The change, if approved, is effective 60 days after following the month it was submitted. Example: a request that was completed & submitted February 12, 2023, if approved by BHA, would be effective May 1, 2023.

• For general information about the Section 8 (HCV) program, please view this PDF of FAQs about Section 8: About Section 8 for Landlords
• To list your unit to share with our participants who are searching for a rental, please visit our unit listing form

For further questions, please contact our Front Desk at (360) 479-3694 or fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org.

1. Find & approve the tenant
2. Submit the tenant’s completed RFTA packet to BHA
3. BHA sets up HQS Inspection after running Rent Reasonable & Affordability test

• If both rent reasonable and affordable, and unit passes: proceed to Step 4
• If both rent reasonable and affordable but unit does not pass: work with Housing Inspector to correct deficiencies to pass
• If neither rent reasonable and/or affordable: Housing Inspector will come back with a counter-offer for asking rent and give you the option to accept or move on
  • If you accept the counter offer and unit passes inspection, proceed to Step 4, if you do not, you’ll work with Housing Inspector to correct deficiencies to pass

4. Once HQS Inspection passes, the lease can be signed between landlord & tenant
5. BHA will contact landlord to successfully execute the HAP Contract between both landlord and BHA

• Once successfully executed, BHA can process for payment – check runs are every 1st & 15th business day of each month. Initial payment will be delayed but retroactive.
• Please note that HAP Contracts not executed within 60 days of beginning lease term could result in missing payments/lost rent

Send any/all paperwork to BHA’s Housing department at fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org

• Determine if they are issued a current voucher to search for a unit. Here’s how:
  • Ask them for their paperwork from Housing, which includes the RFTA Packet, a copy of their voucher, and their Affordability Estimate Worksheet. Their voucher should have this information to verify:
    • Bedroom size
    • Expiration date
• If you’ve determined that they DO have a current voucher to search for a unit:
  • Determine that the unit is affordable by their Affordability Estimate Worksheet
  • If the unit is affordable for the household: complete the RFTA Packet and submit to BHA as soon as possible to fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org (don’t forget to include a sample copy of the lease you intend to use)
• If you’ve determined that they do NOT have a current voucher to search for a unit:
  • They will need to contact BHA:
    • If they do not have a current voucher to move, but are a participant, they will need to schedule a move appointment. This may prolong the process further on top of the usual time BHA needs to process all the necessary paperwork.
    • If they are not a current participant (either on the waitlist or a member of the general public), unfortunately, they would not be able to apply for a unit using a BHA-issued voucher.

Ask them to provide you with the RFTA Packet they received from BHA (they are issued these to search for a unit). See question above for more details on what to ask and look for to ensure they have a current voucher to move.

Fill it out with them as soon as possible and click here for instructions on ensuring it’s complete.

Return to fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org. Once received in complete, a Housing Inspector will contact you after running a Rent Reasonable and Affordability test. If both check out, they will contact you to set up the inspection. If one of those tests does not clear, they will contact you with a counteroffer and give you the option to proceed or not.

Note: If you’ve approved them and they do not have a current RFTA Packet for you to fill out, you should instruct them to contact their Housing Specialist ASAP in order to set an appointment to get issued a voucher to search for a unit. This is where they will be issued this paperwork. Not having a current voucher to move may prolong the usual process.

• CLICK HERE FOR AN INFORMATIONAL CHECKLIST TO HELP YOU COMPLETE IT
• An RFTA is the packet of paperwork from BHA that the landlord completes after they’ve approved an applicant for tenancy. This packet asks for information about the unit so BHA can determine if its rent-reasonable and schedule an inspection accordingly.
• BHA will process RFTAs within 5-10 business days upon receipt. Note: do not have your tenant sign the lease until your unit has passed inspection. That is the earliest that subsidy can begin.
• RFTA packets are given to the voucher holder to give to landlords after they’ve been approved for a unit.
• See below for a sample breakdown:

After you have completed/submitted the applicant’s RFTA packet to fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org:

1. BHA will run a Rent Reasonable test and Affordability check, and then schedule an inspection if both pass. This process takes 5-10 business days.
2. BHA will conduct an HQS inspection to ensure it meets the requirements. If any deficiencies are found, the inspector will let the landlord know in order to get the unit to pass.
3. Once the unit has officially passed, the landlord and tenant are free to sign the lease. Subsidy can begin on that day. Initial payment will be delayed but retroactive to date lease was signed. Note: once the inspection passes, BHA can only provide an estimate of a tenant’s rent portion.
4. Once lease has been signed:

• Send BHA the signed, executed lease with a copy of the HUD Tenancy Addendum attached to fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org
• Look out for an email or letter from BHA. This will have instructions for completing all of the rest of the required paperwork that BHA needs to finalize the contract.

5. Once BHA has received everything completed, the file is sent to Finance for payment. Check runs are done on the 1st and 15th business day each month. Please remember, initial payment will be delayed but retroactive to date lease was signed.

The HAP Contract is the legal document between the landlord and the Bremerton Housing Authority. It is not the same thing as a rental agreement or lease between landlords and tenants. Its purpose is to provide the foundation of the relationship between BHA and the landlord, and outline items like payments and responsibilities between the two parties.

It is divided into 3 parts:
Part A: Contract Info
Part B: Body of Contract
Part C: HUD Tenancy Addendum

Click here to view a sample HAP Contract

• Your initial payment will need to have a HAP Contract be successfully executed before BHA can process it. While it will be delayed due to this, it will be retroactive to the date the contract begins and paid on the next check/deposit run (the 1st and 15th business day of each month).
• The length of time between inspection passing and initial payment will vary depending on how quickly BHA gets the HAP Contract executed and the time of the month this happens. BHA makes check runs on the 1st and 15th business day every month.

Essentially, this means it could take anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on how quickly BHA gets everything needed.

• Your initial payment will need to have a HAP Contract be successfully executed before BHA can process it. While it will be delayed due to this, it will be retroactive to the date the contract begins and paid on the next check/deposit run (the 1st and 15th business day of each month).
• The length of time between inspection passing and initial payment will vary depending on how quickly BHA gets the HAP Contract executed and the time of the month this happens. BHA makes check runs on the 1st and 15th business day every month.
• Essentially, this means it could take anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on how quickly BHA gets everything needed.

Note: Do NOT sign a lease until the unit passes inspection, as BHA cannot subsidize the unit prior to that date. If you do, the tenant will be responsible for the full contract rent.

Please visit our Landlord Forms page to fill out a Landlord/Owner Change form, and submit to fdadmin@bremertonhousing.org

Please visit BHA’s form to share your listing with us

BHA does not screen tenants for suitability as renters.

We do not perform credit checks, rental history checks, or any other background checks commonly used by landlords. Eligibility for the Section 8 program is based on factors set by HUD and do not have a stake in ensuring the property’s potential applicant will be suitable for the unit. Lastly, BHA wants landlords to be in control of who they select for the units and what screening criteria they’d like to apply.

• Landlord: maintain unit in accordance with HQS (Housing Quality Standards); enforce the lease as necessary with tenant; abide by the HAP Contract Agreement with BHA; comply with Fair Housing & WA State Landlord-Tenant law.
• Tenant: comply with BHA/Section 8 HCV program; comply with landlord’s lease; be responsible for damages beyond wear and tear.
• BHA: ensure eligibility for the Section 8 program itself; work with landlord to ensure all necessary paperwork; pay landlords on time; ensure the household’s ongoing eligibility with Section 8 HCV program.

Unfortunately, BHA is not able to get involved in disputes or disagreements between landlords and tenants for a variety of reasons, one of which being we are not party to the rental lease agreement.

The top 3 factors to keep in mind regarding landlord-tenant relationships are to follow/enforce the rental lease agreement, abide by Washington State Landlord-Tenant law, and always try to keep direct communication between you and your tenant.

If you issue any notices to your tenant, please just remember to copy or notify BHA for our records.

The short answer:
Ask for what you think is fair. Here are the 2 factors BHA uses to determine the rent a landlord can get for the unit:

• Must be considered “affordable” for the household (tenant portion cannot exceed 40% of their monthly income)
• The unit must pass a Rent Reasonable test (compared to similar non-assisted units)

If the amount you request does not meet both of these requirements, we will counter your offer and give you the option to lower the amount. If you do not want to lower the rent, the unit will not be eligible for the program.

The long answer:
There are several moving parts to calculating this amount, and thus no standard template for the calculation. Payment Standards, Utility Allowances, Rent Reasonable and Affordability for the Household are all factors that we use to calculate rent. Basically, BHA must follow and adhere to several federal guidelines and formulas to calculate rent amounts. Here are the components below:

Payment Standards: these amounts are based off of published FMRs (Fair Market Rents) that HUD sets and are based off bedroom size. They are the maximum amount BHA can pay each month for Gross Rent (rent AND utilities the tenant is responsible for). Click here for current payment standards.

Utility Allowance: Utility Allowances are for determining a reasonable allowance for monthly utilities the tenant is responsible for and are based off of Utility Allowance charts calculated off of HUD’s Utility Schedule Model. These amounts are based on building type, bedroom size and location, and broken down by utility type. Their purpose is to offset tenant-paid utility cost(s). Generally, the more utilities a tenant is responsible for, the lower the asking rent amount will be that BHA can pay. Click here to view current Utility Allowance schedules.

Rent Reasonable (RR) Determination/Test: HUD requires that rents charged by owners are reasonable, so BHA must compare the rent for the subsidized unit to rents for similar unassisted units in the marketplace.

Household Affordability/Rent Portion: on top of Rent Reasonableness (RR), the household also has a maximum that they are allowed to pay for rent and utilities. This is commonly referred to as the household’s allowed amount (what BHA refers to as their “Line 9”) and can be found on their Affordability Estimate Worksheet paperwork (which they should have before they apply).

Note: if RR is lower than household’s allowed amount, the lesser amount of the two will be approved.

Families will pay no less than 30% and no more than 40% of their adjusted monthly income toward their rent and utility share during their initial lease term. BHA pays the remaining amount to the property owner on the family’s behalf in what we call a monthly HAP (Housing Assistance Payment).

Click here to view current Payment Standards
Click here to view current Utility Allowance schedules

HQS, or Housing Quality Standards, are inspections conducted by BHA staff and/or contractors to ensure that potential and current HCV housing units meet the minimum performance and acceptability criteria for each of the 13 key housing quality aspects.

The 13 key housing quality aspects are:

• Sanitary facilities
• Food preparation & refuse disposal
• Space & security
• Thermal environment
• Illumination & electricity
• Structure & materials
• Interior air quality
• Water supply
• Lead-based paint
• Access
• Site & neighborhood
• Sanitary condition
• Smoke detectors

Please visit our Landlord Forms page to download/view our HQS Pre-Inspection Checklist. This checklist incorporates the most common fail items/deficiencies.

Please keep in mind that HQS inspections’ main focus is on the health and safety of the unit. They are conducted to ensure that potential & current HCV units meet the minimum performance & acceptability criteria for 13 key housing quality aspects: sanitary facilities, food prep & refuse disposal, space & security, thermal environment, illumination & electricity, structure & materials, interior air quality, water supply, lead-based paint, access, site & neighborhood, sanitary condition, and smoke detectors.

Plumbing & Heating

• Hot water heaters must have: a pressure/temp relief valve and discharge line no more than 6 inches off the floor OR be routed outside; electric connection must be covered in flex conduit
• No flammable materials near gas hot water tanks or gas furnaces
• Heating system must be in safe, working condition and produce enough heat to service the living areas

Appliances

• Kitchen stove must be in working order and have all knobs & handles intact
• Fridge must be in working order, be large enough to suit family, have intact handle, and gaskets in good repair

Fire Prevention, Safety & Sanitary Conditions

• Units must have working smoke detectors AND carbon monoxide detector
• Fire exits must be clear in the event of an emergency
• Unit must be free of rodent or insect infestation

Structural

• No tripping hazards on the floor, porch, stairs or walkways
• If there is a child under 6 in household: paint cannot be chipping, peeling, chalking or cracking either interior or exterior (Lead Based Paint requirement)

Electrical

• Bedrooms must have either:
  • 1 overhead light and 1 working outlet
  • 2 working outlets
• Wiring must be secured to wall or ceiling
• Electrical splices in junction box/no unsecured or exposed wiring

Windows & Doors

• All bedroom and bathroom doors designed to open, must open
• Windows cannot be cracked or broken
• Windows must work (prevent drafts/water leaks); must lock if on ground floor
• Bathrooms must have 1 window OR 1 exhaust vent/fan

While BHA will need to conduct an initial HQS inspection prior to the tenant moving in, please know that HQS inspections for Section 8 HCV are not the same thing as a standard move-in or move-out inspection conducted by a landlord for a tenant.

BHA highly recommends conducting a move-in and move-out condition inspection report for your tenant to document the condition of your unit pre-and post-move-out.

Click here to view a sample Move-In/Move-Out Condition Report provided as a courtesy by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Landlord Mitigation Fund Program.

In 2018, WA State established the Landlord Mitigation Fund Program (a.k.a. the Damage Relief Program) for landlords with tenants who receive rental assistance. This program was designed to provide landlords with an incentive and added security to work with tenants receiving rental assistance. The program offers up to $1,000 and up to 14 days’ rent loss to the landlord in reimbursement for some potentially required move-in upgrades, and up to $5,000 of qualifying damages.

Note: for more information, contact Nicholas Yuva at landlordfund@commerce.wa.gov, (360) 725-2949 or visit Washington State Damage Relief Program

Also, please remember that you as the landlord are allowed to bill a tenant for damages. If the damage exceeds normal wear and tear, you may seek legal judgement as well.

Since BHA does not act as a property manager for Section 8 HCV units, it is highly recommended that landlords conduct their own routine inspections for non-HQS factors that they may be concerned about and that are outlined in their lease.

No, BHA cannot make any judgement on the condition of the unit as long as it doesn’t have anything that could be considered a health/safety issue under our Housing Quality Standards inspection requirements. It is up to your discretion to act as a property manager by inspecting your unit according to the standards of your lease.

The WA State Source of Income Discrimination Law (RCW 59.18.255) mandates that landlords cannot refuse to rent to, or perform other discriminatory acts towards, someone who is otherwise eligible for tenancy solely due to them receiving rental assistance or another subsidy program. They also cannot require voucher holders to meet income thresholds (like making 3x the total rent) and must take voucher amounts into consideration in these circumstances.

However, this does not mean that landlords must rent to someone solely because they have a housing voucher. If they do not meet other screening criteria the landlord sets for tenancy, the landlord is allowed to apply the screening criteria accordingly. For more details, please visit the linked RCW above.

No, BHA does not screen for potential tenants’ suitability as a renter for your property. You must screen potential tenants for any requirements you need for a renter. The only exception to screening for voucher holders is income (see “Are landlords required to take Section 8 HCV vouchers” above).

In most cases, no, there is no assistance for move-in costs/deposits/application fees/etc. tied to vouchers by default.

This means that in the exceptional circumstance that there is funding available for a voucher holder for these types of assistance, the voucher holder will be individually made aware of this, what they are eligible for, and how to apply.

BHA’s role is to administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program efficiently and within the compliance standards set by HUD.

When BHA works with tenant households, we are ensuring they are continually eligible to receive rental assistance through the Section 8 HCV program. This involves handling any/all paperwork related to their eligibility for the program.

When BHA works with landlords, it is to answer questions about the program, explain how it works, conduct annual inspections to make sure the unit continually meets HQS standards, and holding an active HAP Contract outlining each parties’ obligations.

However:

What BHA can’t get involved in is playing an active role in disputes between tenant and landlord regarding anything involving the lease agreement. We are unable to give legal advice or guidance other than to follow your lease within WA State Landlord-Tenant laws.

The only minor involvement BHA can be a part of in these circumstances is issuing a Program Violation to the household. Program Violations are issued when BHA is notified of any notices in writing that are given to the tenant that they are not in compliance of their lease.

In 2018, WA State established the Landlord Mitigation Fund Program (a.k.a. the Damage Relief Program) for landlords with tenants who receive rental assistance. This program was designed to provide landlords with an incentive and added security to work with tenants receiving rental assistance. The program offers up to $1,000 and up to 14 days’ rent loss to the landlord in reimbursement for some potentially required move-in upgrades, and up to $5,000 of qualifying damages.

Note: for more information, contact Nicholas Yuva at landlordfund@commerce.wa.gov, (360) 725-2949 or visit Washington State Damage Relief Program

Also, please remember that you as the landlord are allowed to bill a tenant for damages. If the damage exceeds normal wear and tear, you may seek legal judgement as well.

Since BHA does not act as a property manager for Section 8 HCV units, it is highly recommended that landlords conduct their own routine inspections for non-HQS factors that they may be concerned about and that are outlined in their lease.

• Reliable and on-time rent payments from BHA: if your tenant loses their income, they report it to BHA and we adjust theirs and our portion accordingly. You will always receive payment each 1st business day of the month from BHA for our portion.
• Less turnover costs on average: voucher holder tenants tend to stay in their units longer, which reduces costs related to turning a unit as well as finding new tenants while your unit is vacant
• The Landlord Mitigation Fund Program: there are funds managed by the WA State Department of Commerce dedicated specifically to landlords who rent to voucher holders. Click here to learn more.

• BHA Landlord Forms
• Washington State Landlord Damage Relief Program (Landlord Mitigation Fund)
• Complete Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act
• Fair Housing for Property Owners & Managers (100 FAQs)
• Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County