Landlords
Hundreds of Thurston County landlords partner with the Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program to provide homes to families, individuals, the elderly and people with disabilities who have low incomes. Through the Voucher program, the Housing Authority provides rent subsidy payments to landlords of privately-owned apartments and houses. The voucher payments are sent directly to landlords.
We administer the Voucher program and determine whether tenants are eligible to receive the subsidy. Owners screen potential tenants and manage their properties as they normally would.
Benefits of the Program
Prompt, Consistent Payments
The Housing Authority pays a fixed amount of the rent to participating landlords each month. The tenant pays the difference between the subsidy and the total rent, in addition to any utilities not included in the rent.
Fair Market Rents
The voucher subsidizes the tenants ability to afford market rate housing.
Property Owner/Manager Screens and Select Tenants
You use your standard and normal practices. Like all tenants, voucher holders must abide by all legal provisions of the lease.
HATC Inspections Help Ensure Quality Preservation
We will inspect your unit at no cost to you to ensure that it is safe, decent, and in good repair.
HATC Staff Engagement with Tenants
Our staff often help tenants understand their responsibilities under the lease, and with their relationship with you.
Access to Washington Landlord Mitigation Program
Washington state’s Landlord Mitigation program provides landlords with an incentive and added security to work with tenants receiving rental assistance. The program offers up to $1,000 to the landlord in reimbursement for some potentially required move-in upgrades, up to fourteen days’ rent loss, and up to $5,000 in qualifying damages caused by a tenant during tenancy.
Legal Compliance
Washington state law prohibits any form of income discrimination in rental transactions.
Helping Neighbors in Need:
By participating in this program you are helping low income workers, elderly, and disabled neighbors.
HOW DOES A LANDLORD PARTICIPATE?
If you are not a current landlord and have an available unit you would like to list, you can list your unit by completing this Unit Listing Form and returning to us. The form can be emailed to FrontD@hatc.org, faxed (360) 251-0500, or mailed to: PO Box 1638, Olympia WA 98507-1638.
When a voucher holder applies to rent your unit, after you approve their application, they will present to you a “Request For Tenancy Approval” or “RFTA “ After you sign the RFTA the prospective tenant is responsible for returning the RFTA and proposed lease to our office. We will review the paperwork, contact you with any questions and schedule a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. After the HQS inspection passes and all the lease documents are signed, you will receive a monthly payment from the tenant (generally an amount equal to 30% of their income) and a payment directly from us.