It’s hard to enforce all the lease provisions residents must comply with, such as bans on pets and home businesses. At some point, you may overlook a resident’s violation of a lease provision for several months. But if you ignore the violation for too long, you may lose your right to...
One of the toughest situations you can face is when a household withholds rent over a claimed problem in a unit. Sometimes the problem is something major, such as no heat or hot water for an extended time. Other times the problem is something minor, such as a broken dishwasher. And still other...
HUD posted Change 4 to HUD Handbook 4350.3, REV-1, “Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs,” in August 2013. Change 4 was the first formal change to the Handbook since 2009. And every chapter of the Handbook other than Chapter 2 was affected by Change 4....
When you start managing a tax credit site, you’ll need to get certain information from the owner to manage the site effectively. Getting this information before renting units to qualified low-income households is essential. Without it, you won’t know what’s required to keep...
Concerns over property damage and dog bite injuries may lead some owners to ban pets from a site altogether. Yet some residents may keep pets despite the ban. If you find that a resident has a pet, how you address this lease violation can determine whether you’ll be held liable if the pet...
As the federal agency that’s responsible for administering the tax credit law, the IRS issues regulations, rulings, and other guidance; audits sites for noncompliance; and decides what penalties to impose for noncompliance. And state housing agencies monitor compliance with the tax credit...
Many state housing finance agencies are adding energy assessment and conservation measures to their Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs) that encourage owners and managers to take steps to reduce their site’s energy and water usage and to engage and educate residents in making the site a...
Getting departing residents to pay their final month’s rent can be difficult. Many residents think it’s fine to tell owners to apply their security deposit to their final month’s rent.
Many units, especially older ones, aren’t set up to handle washing machines, dryers, and other large appliances. But even if your units don’t have hookups or the capacity to handle these appliances, some residents may still bring in portable units and connect them to the electrical...
As summer approaches and temperatures begin to rise, residents and their guests may be tempted to go up on the roof and sunbathe, barbecue, or just cool off from their hot units. Unfortunately, allowing people on the roofs of your site’s buildings can cause you many problems. For example,...
At some point, you’re going to have to notify households that you’re raising their rent. Reasons for raising the rent on a low-income unit can include a utility allowance decrease, an over-income household, a change in your area’s median gross income, or, if the rent is below...
Like every other tax credit site manager, you may not always be sure of the right way to handle a situation. And the owner may sometimes ask you questions that you can’t answer. For example, you may not know whether the IRS can give the owner more time to elect the site...
