Frequently Asked Questions for Landlords
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a federally funded program that is designed to assist low-income households by providing rental assistance that is based on household income. The assistance is paid directly to the landlord once the assisted unit has been approved and contracts have been approved.
The Housing Choice Voucher program is a good option for landlords who want security. The majority of the rent will be paid directly by the Housing Authority every month. The balance of the rent will be paid by the tenant. Other benefits of the Voucher program.
All of our participants are assigned a Housing Specialist. You can find a list of specialists by clicking Staff Contacts and looking under the Rental Assistance, Housing Program Specialists section.
You can view your payment detail on the Assistance Connect landlord portal. If you do not have access to the portal, please reach out to HeatherM@hatc.org for the registration letter and PIN.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) checks are mailed the last business day of the month for the following month's rent payment. Checks are typically received by the 5th of the month and will not be canceled and reissued prior to the 10th. If you have not received your check by the 10th of the month, please contact the finance department.
Yes, we do. Please complete the Direct Deposit Enrollment/Change form and send to Heather Macke. You must complete the direct deposit form and provide a copy of a voided check or something from your bank that shows the name, account number, and routing number. We will not accept deposit slips. The deposit slip routing number is different than the routing number to receive a direct deposit.
You can email, mail, or fax the information.
Email: HeatherM@hatc.org
Fax: 360-251-0500
Mail: Housing Authority of Thurston County, P.O. Box 1638, Olympia WA 98507-1638
We use Assistance Connect for our landlord portal for current landlords. If you need the registration PIN or have questions regarding the portal, please reach out to one of the following:
Heather Macke, HeatherM@hatc.org, (360) 918-5811
TJ Crowley, TimothyC@hatc.org, (360) 918-5827
Owners are responsible for screening their tenants, utilizing their standard screening procedures. The Housing Authority does limited background screening.
Yes, you are allowed to charge a security deposit, comparable to what you would charge any other renter.
No, there is no one year lease requirement. The Housing Authority accepts any lease term, from month-to-month to one year.
This depends on the lease terms. The owner or tenant could be responsible for the utilities, depending on how they are assigned in the lease. The Housing Authority does not pay any utilities on behalf of the tenant.
If a property is offering concessions, the concession is generally averaged across the terms of the lease to decrease or reduce the amount of monthly rent.
The tenant cannot, nor should they be asked to pay additional monies outside of the lease agreement and contract. This violates program rules and guidelines and subjects both parties to termination from the program.
The tenant will continue to receive assistance as long as they are income-eligible and continue to meet program requirements, or until they voluntarily terminate.
Owners have the same rights under the Voucher program as they do under a standard rental agreement. The Housing Assistance Payments contract does require that landlords maintain their unit in a decent, safe and sanitary condition, and provide proper notice of any changes in the rental agreement, including the rent. The HAP Contract will list the rules and guidelines for landlords.
Yes, the amount of rent the tenant pays is subject to change. The amount of assistance a tenant receives is based on their income. As their income fluctuates, a tenant's rent can also fluctuate. The participant and landlord will always be provided with a minimum of thirty (30) days notice of a change in the tenant rent share. If the tenant's rent share goes up or down, the amount of the rent you receive from the Housing Authority will also change so that you still receive the total agreed upon rent. Click here for more information about how rent portions are determined: Landlord FAQ about Rent
A change in lease terms requires a minimum of a sixty (60) day notice to the Housing Authority. For any rent increases or changes, send to DebbieL@hatc.org.
We are required to follow city and state guidelines. Rent Increases require advance notice per the following guidelines:
- Units in the City of Olympia (OMC 5.82)
- Requires 120 days' notice for rent increases over 5%
- Requires 180 days' notice for rent increases over 10%
- All other Thurston County units require 60 days' notice for any rent increase
If a Voucher holder tenant violates the terms of the lease agreement, you would issue notice to them the same as you would any other tenant, following landlord/tenant laws. If the tenant causes damages or owes you money, you would also treat them the same as any other tenant. In case of damages to the unit, you may be able to get compensation through Washington State's Landlord Mitigation Program.
A tenancy under the Voucher program may be terminated following Washington State law. You will need to provide our office with copies of any notifications you issue to the tenant.
If you are planning on selling your property or changing management company's, we ask that you contact our office prior to the sale or change of title. Once the property changes ownership or management company's, a Change in Owner or Management packet must be completed and submitted to our office. Please note that a copy of the new management agreement that is signed by the owner is required if the owner is not signing the change packet. This packet is available for download on our Landlord Forms page.
For most units we are currently on a biennial inspection schedule, meaning we do inspections every 24 months. Visit our Inspections page for more information.
The Housing Quality Standards are established by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD requires that all assisted units meet this minimum standard to ensure the unit is decent, safe and sanitary. For more information on inspections, please visit our Inspections page.
The Housing Authority cannot provide advice on how to treat mold in your property. You may find some useful information on Thurston County Health Department's Healthy Homes website. There is also some useful information on the Washington State Health Department's website.
Units that were constructed prior to 1978 must be free of chipping or peeling paint if there is a child under the age of six (6) residing in the unit. Refer to Washington State's Department of Commerce website for more information on lead-based paint.
Let us know if you have a unit available. We always have clients looking for a new home. If you are a current landlord, you can easily list and manage available units by logging into your account on the landlord portal, Assistance Connect.
If you are not a current landlord with us, 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.
We take fraud very seriously. If you suspect someone under the program is committing fraud, please complete and submit the Report Fraud form.