Housing and Community Development

CONTACT INFORMATION: Operating Hours: 8AM-4:30PM M-F
703-246-5000 TTY 711
3700 Pender Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tom Fleetwood
HCD Director

Department Resources

Housing Choice Voucher: Leasing, Rents & Fees

The successful leasing of any property is dependent on the active participation and partnership between landlord and tenant in understanding agreement parameters, following through on obligations and addressing and resolving any concerns that arise. 
 

LEASING

Landlords can select Housing Choice Voucher tenants in the same way they screen and select other tenants and use their own leasing documents and screening processes. The FCRHA does not require landlords to house families participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

As a landlord, you have the freedom to rent to whoever you choose as long as you are not discriminating against potential tenants based on color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, national origin, ancestry, family status, source of income, disability, medical condition or age. All potential tenants should complete a uniform application and screening process.
 

Yes.  Under HUD regulations a property owner cannot lease to a relative that is a parent (including stepparents), child, grandparent, grandchild, sister or brother. However, the FCRHA may allow a landlord to rent a handicapped accessible unit in order to provide attendant assistance to a family member living with a disability, only if it is determined that the leasing of the landlord's unit would accommodate a relative with disabilities. 

No. Program participants are expected to abide by the same landlord lease regulations as non-participants. Landlords are strongly encouraged to enforce their lease if the tenant violates their lease. 

The HCV program provides rental assistance for apartments, single family homes, condos, townhomes, row houses, duplexes, triplexes, and manufactured homes.

Yes.  The FCRHA will only subsidize for the rental unit, not furniture.  If your unit is furnished, you are responsible for obtaining property insurance.

The initial lease between the tenant and landlord must be for a minimum of one-year.  Thereafter the landlord can initiate a new lease or opt for a monthly lease plan.    

The FCRHA will issue a voucher to the family based on household composition. The voucher, will indicate the unit bedroom size, which determines the amount of subsidy the family will receive towards their monthly rent.  As a landlord, it is essential for you to make certain the bedroom size of your rental property is in compliance with the family’s voucher. Although a family may rent a unit with a larger number of bedrooms than on the voucher, the family may be responsible for the rent over the allowable amount.

The family is to report changes in household composition to the landlord and the family’s caseworker.  The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) may be adjusted up or down based on the increase or decrease of the family composition. This may change the family’s share and then number of bedrooms for which they are eligible.  However, this does not change the lease rent unless the landlord requests a rent increase. If the family remains in the unit the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) will be adjusted accordingly.

Whether or not you advertise to accept pets is up to you.  Landlords have the right to prohibit all pets, or to restrict the type of pet, number, size or breed. Landlords who allow pets may require the tenant to pay a separate deposit to cover any damages caused by the pet.  Landlords should become knowledgeable of the restrictions on the use of pet deposits.   Note: Assistance animals are not pets; they are either service or support animals. A housing provider may not exclude service animals or support animals or charge a fee or deposit for them.

This can depend on the terms given within the lease.  Normally it may be 30 or 60-days and applies to both the landlord and tenant.  Whoever initiates the lease termination must provide the original notice to affected party and a copy to the FCRHA.  Less notice time may be given if the tenant and the owner mutually agree to it.  The tenant may only end the initial tenancy lease by mutual agreement with the owner and coordination with their caseworker.

Minimum income requirements often require tenants to earn three or four times the monthly rent for the unit. When pertaining to HCV voucher holders, the minimum income requirement should only relate to the portion of the rent paid by the household, not the total rent for the unit. Housing discrimination is prohibited under federal and state laws, including discrimination based on the sources of funds.

 

RENTS

Landlords may set the rent they wish to receive for leasing their unit at their own discretion; however, the amount the FCRHA can pay cannot exceed the County’s payment standards or the amount determined to meet a rent reasonableness. A family may be able to rent a unit over the payment standard if it meets an affordability standard, but may never rent a unit where the rent does not meet the rent reasonableness standard.


NOTE: When the voucher is issued, the participant agrees to abide by the Family Obligations for the program. In exchange, the FCRHA will assist the participant with their rent, provided that the participant finds an approved place within the time limit. 

The first payment is not sent out until the unit has passed the Housing Quality Standards, a landlord rental lease is signed, and a Housing Assistance Payment contract is signed.  The first payment can take up to 60 days after the contract is signed. Thereafter, the FCRHA makes every effort to get payments to the landlord by the first week of each month.

Please contact the Finance Division at the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority at 703-246-5232, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. thru 4 p.m.

After the first-year lease, owners can request rent increases.  The request is sent in writing to the tenant and their caseworker.  Requests must be submitted at least 60 days before the effective date of the increase.  Rent increase requests are reviewed by the caseworker to make sure it is reasonable.  If the caseworker determines the request is reasonable, the change is made automatically.  If the caseworker finds that the increase exceeds reasonableness, the owner is notified and has the opportunity to negotiate an acceptable increase.  If the owner does not wish to lower the rent increase, the owner may decide not to renew the lease.  The caseworker will inform the tenant that they will have to seek new housing before the lease expires.

The tenant is responsible for their portion of unpaid rent and any damages beyond normal wear and tear.  In order to retain voucher assistance a family has the responsibility and obligation to maintain the unit in good condition and adhere to the lease and the HUD tenancy addendum.  If the family does not pay their rent or repair any tenant caused damages beyond normal wear and tear, they are subject to landlord eviction proceedings and termination from the HCV program.  You are required to keep the FCRHA and the tenant informed (with written communications) of all issues regarding any late rent or damage issues beyond normal wear and tear

 

FEES

Yes.  You are restricted from charging a security deposit that is greater than what you charge non-participating tenants. Under Virginia tenant-landlord laws you may charge up to the equivalent of two month’s rent if desired for the security deposit.  All HCV participating tenants are required to fund their own security deposits.

Possibly.  If the utilities are kept in the landlord’s name, the landlord must pay. 

If it is determined that the tenant is responsible for paying the utilities, the utilities must be transferred to the tenant’s name. The tenant must have access to an electric, gas and a water meter that is separate from other tenants. 

Homeowners association dues remain payable by the landlord and are not figured into the utility costs or transferred to the tenant.

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