Property Owners
Landlord Portal
Sign up now for Duluth HRA’s landlord portal! Access previous payment information, sign up for direct deposit payments from Duluth HRA, download your 1099 and more. Please visit https://duluthhra.partnerinhousing.com/ to sign up. Sign up instructions can also be found by going to the Landlord Forms folder of our HRA Documents Library, located in the Links menu above, or by clicking here.
How can I participate in the Voucher Program?
Rental Property Owners in Duluth and Southern St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties can participate.
1. Market to Voucher holders
When advertising, add “Vouchers Accepted” to your advertisement. The Duluth HRA can also assist you by advertising your vacancy for free in our weekly vacancy listing that is available in the HRA lobby. To list a vacancy with the HRA, call 218-529-6300 or fax the information to the HRA at 218-529-6344.
Since the Voucher Program is tenant -based, your ablility to participate is dependent on your unit being selected by a voucher-assisted tenant.There is no separate pre-qualification process for an owner or rental unit. Approval of your unit by the HRA is initiated through a unit-specific request by a voucher holder.
2. Screen Prospective Renter
Property owners and managers are responsible for screening renters. Screening may incude for credit, rental and criminal history. The HRA does not screen program participants for suitablilty as a prospective renter.
3. Complete Request for Tenancy Approval; (RTA) Form
Complete the Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) Form. Once you have approved the voucher holder as a renter, they will request that you complete the RTA. An the RTA form you will list the rent amount, mailing address for payment, phone number to contact for inspection, unit address, types of utilities and who is responsible to pay them, etc. The renter will return this form along with a lease and other required forms.
4. How much can I charge for rent?
You should research what comparable units are generating for rent in the private market. The HRA cannot approve a rent that exceeds what comparable unassisted units in the market receive. The tenant is eligible for a maximum subsidy, based on household income and the applicable HRA payment standards. The maximum assistance a household is eligible to receive is equal to the difference between 30% of a household’s monthly
adjusted income and the applicable payment standard for their voucher size. The tenant must pay the difference between the maximum subsidy and the rent you are charging. Therefore, affordability may become an issue for the tenant if the rent you charge is above the payment standard. Under the Voucher Program, a renter is prohibitied from leasing a unit where their portion of the rent exceeds 40% of their monthly adjusted income in the first year.
5. Inspection
All rental units assisted through the Housing Choice Voucher Program must pass a Housing Quality Standard Inspection before we can start subsidy. Upon receiving a Request for Tenancy Approval for your unit, the HRA will arrange to do an inspection of the rental unit.
6. Signing of Program Contracts
You will receive a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract that shows the tenant’s and the HRA’s monthly payment obligation. Once you have signed and returned the HAP Contract and provided a copy of an executed lease with the tenant, the HRA will start sending a check for its portion directly to you on the 1st of each month. (If you have not done business with the HRA in the past year, you will be required to submit the IRS Form W-9 before a payment can be issued.) You are responsible for collecting the tenant’s portion of the monthly rent.
For more information on how to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, call 218-529-6300.