No. As a landlord, you can decide who is responsible for paying utilities. If a tenant is responsible for paying utilities, this must be indicated on the Request for Tenancy Approval and in the lease. Utilities must be individually metered in order to be approved by the voucher program.

No. The St. Louis Park Housing Authority does not pre-qualify properties. Each time a landlord rents to a voucher holder, their property/unit will be screened for affordability and an inspection will take place. Typically, the Housing Choice Voucher inspection does not have as strict of standards as the city inspection that is needed for a landlord's rental license.

No. A landlord that participates in the Housing Choice Voucher Program would handle any damages left by a tenant the same way they would handle those from an unsubsidized tenant. If a tenant leaves your property not in good standing or has been evicted, they can or will lose their voucher. Anytime a landlord issues a lease violation to a tenant, it is recommended that they copy the Housing Authority they work with and follow up with them.  

The St. Louis Park Housing Authority encourages landlords to have specific written criteria for their tenants, and to consistently adhere to it. When a voucher holder applies, a typical response from a landlord could include, “I am willing to work with the voucher program, as long as the applicant is able to pass my screening criteria.” If you are a landlord that works with the program regularly, including information in your marketing materials such as "Rental Assistance Accepted" will let voucher holders know you are willing to work with them.  

A landlord should screen voucher holders like any other tenants. While the screening process is taking place, a landlord may fill out a Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) form. The RTA lets the Housing Authority (HA) know about the unit the tenant is wanting to rent. The tenant is responsible for returning the form, along with an unexecuted lease, to the HA by the 15th of the month in order to be assisted for the following month. We encourage tenants not to leave this form with landlords due to the time-sensitive nature of the program.

Once the HA receives the RTA form, the unit is determined to be affordable or not based on the agency’s payment standards and the family’s income. After the unit is determined to be affordable, the HA will contact the landlord to schedule and complete a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. The inspection must pass by the first of the month. A unit cannot be included in the program if it does not pass the HQS inspection.

The landlord is required to fill out a W9, sign a HAP contract and submit the executed lease to the HA. At that point, the landlord can be paid based on the HA’s practices.