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Thank you for visiting the website for Delaware Metropolitan Housing Authority (DMHA). We hope the following information will help you better understand the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. DMHA is a State Political Subdivision funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our purpose is to assist the very low-income individuals and families so that they can enjoy the benefits of decent, safe and sanitary housing. The assistance program operated by DMHA has several advantages for you as a landlord. First, you are guaranteed that all or a portion of your tenant’s rent will be paid on time. This payment is detailed in a Housing Assistance Payments Contract that you will sign with our office. Secondly, you will be providing a service to your community by renting to low-income individuals or families. Last of all, you retain all rights and responsibilities you have now as a landlord. Listed below are the most frequently asked
questions and answers. If you have any questions not addressed,
please contact our office by phone at Frequently Asked Questions How can I become a landlord on your program? When you have a unit available for rent, just call our office with your name, contact phone number and information about the unit. We will post this information on a listing that is given to new clients and current tenants wishing to move. Does DMHA screen applicants or tenants? DMHA does perform checks for criminal activity and checks to see if a person is a registered lifetime sexual predator. We do not screen for tenant suitability. This is performed by you as a landlord according to your normal screening procedures. DMHA will not release any information concerning tenants and applicants as we must abide by the Federal Privacy Act with the exception of their current or previous landlord information if we know it. After I have screened the tenants and have chosen to rent to them, what is next? Anyone receiving assistance through DMHA will have a form called “Request for Tenancy Approval”. They will give this to you to complete with information about the unit to be leased. Once it is completed and submitted to our office, we will calculate the rent and utilities to make sure it fits within the tenants budgeted amount. Applicants or current tenants in the process of moving cannot pay more that 40% of their adjusted monthly income for their portion of rent and the average cost of utilities. If the unit is within their budget, DMHA will call to schedule an inspection. If the rent and utilities are not with the tenant’s budget, you will have the option to negotiate the rent or not go through with this particular contract. These rent limitations are based on the income of the tenant, number of persons in the household and the rent and utilities they are obligated to pay. The purpose of the 40% limitation is designed to place tenants in units they can afford, so each individual case can be different. Once an inspection is completed, you will receive a notice stating the unit passed or an itemized summary stating what repairs will have to be completed in order to receive a pass rating. You will be given up to 30 days to make the needed repairs or you can make them as quickly as possible to get the contract started. You will also have the option not to make repairs and cancel the process. Once we receive a pass rating, all documents will be prepared for signatures. We cannot start a contract until we have a signed approved lease between you and the tenant, all contracts and documents are signed and the utilities are turned on. Who pays the security deposit? Tenant is responsible for the security deposit which cannot exceed one months’ rent. DMHA assists with rent only. Who pays me and when will I receive the rent? You will receive a check from DMHA on or around the first of each month and it will be mailed directly to you at the address you give us. We have a mid-month deadline for checks to be issued for the first of the next month. If the unit does not pass by this deadline, there is a possibility that the process of the first check could be delayed until the following month. In the event that there is a delay, the rent will be retroactive to the start date of the contract. We encourage landlords to make repairs as quickly as possible to avoid this delay. At the end of the year, you will receive a 1099-MISC form for tax purposes. What if the tenant moves before the lease term has expired? If the tenant moves without giving the proper notice, the housing assistance ends at the end of the month that the unit was vacated. You can then decide whether or not to pursue your options through the court system. DMHA has procedures to determine a tenants future eligibility if they vacate without giving proper notice. What should I do if a tenant does not pay their portion of rent or if they are violation the lease in some other way? You may notify our office and we can send them a standard form in an effort to encourage them to correct the problem. If they do not, have the right to file a formal eviction in accordance with local laws. You must supply our office with copies of all eviction related documents and notices. How often do you inspect? DMHA conducts an initial inspection to start a contract with a perspective tenant. We then, inspect the unit annually at the tenants’ anniversary date. Quality control inspections are selected randomly to ensure our inspector is conducting inspections in compliance with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards. What if I already have a lease with the tenant? We are required to comply with HUD regulations and one of the many HUD regulations is that the lease and the Housing Assistance Payments and dated the same. A new lease would have to be prepared with the same effective date as the HAP contract. Close communication between DMHA and you is important during the initial contract process so that we are in compliance with HUD regulations. If you have any questions, please contact our
office at:
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