HUD encourages—and federal laws require—equitable access to and usage of your site's common areas and community room for all residents. Handbook 4350.3 (HUD Occupancy Handbook), Chapter 2, notes that under the Fair Housing Act, owners may not “treat anyone differently in...
Your maintenance plan includes painting resident units on a regular schedule, but your residents might not always cooperate. For example, they may drag their feet when asked to prepare the unit for painting or grumble about giving the painters access to the unit.
Suppose a household member at your site has a baby or a relative who previously had not lived in the household moves in. Whatever the reason for the change in the household composition, you need to know about it. That's because HUD rules require that you know and take certain steps when you...
You are required by HUD to have at least one smoke detector in every unit at your site. It's more than good common sense to take this safety step; smoke detectors can save lives.
Having the required smoke detectors in place also could save you down the road in a legal battle—but...
HUD encourages and supports a range of environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of renewable energy sources and green construction and renovation techniques. Many sites are taking steps in the right direction, finding that when they use such practices, they can trim operational costs...
If you ever have to evict a resident, you need to keep in mind that the resident has certain rights. Among them is the right to meet with you to discuss your rationale for the eviction. Essentially, during this meeting, the resident has the right to present his or her case to convince you not to...
Mold at your site is more than just a nuisance. It can exacerbate health problems for residents and create a legal liability for you. To reduce these risks, take steps to educate residents and involve them in the fight to keep mold to a minimum.
In 2007, HUD issued final guidance on helping those with limited English proficiency (LEP) gain access to federally funded services and programs. The guidance called for HUD-assisted housing entities to implement a plan that includes translating “vital” written materials and...
HUD expects site owners and managers to build and maintain a good relationship with residents. To create what HUD calls “a suitable living environment,” the participation and cooperation of residents is essential.
Not only does a cooperative relationship make day-to-day life...
The Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS) was designed by HUD to help improve financial controls over assisted housing programs by automating manual procedures and incorporating automated controls.
TRACS collects certified tenant data from owners and management agents via...
HUD recently issued guidance designed to offer applicants for housing the opportunity to give supplemental information about individuals or organizations that could be of help in resolving any issues that might arise during their tenancy or provide any special care or needed services. Such...
Owners and managers administering a multifamily housing project-based Section 8 program may not evict or terminate the assistance of individuals if the asserted grounds for such action involve instances of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking.
