Feature

RSS

You can hope you never need the services of a collection agency, but it's likely that you will. Suppose a resident skips out without paying the share of his rent above his subsidy. You are entitled to pursue the resident within legal means to collect past-due debts. That's when a good collection agency can be invaluable.

HUD could reimburse your loss from past-due debt, via a special damage claim, but first you must demonstrate that you have taken “a...

When new residents move in to your site, you should take steps to assure that they understand their responsibilities as outlined in their lease and house rules. While HUD does not require you to do this, HUD strongly encourages you to—and it is a good site management practice.

HUD addresses this issue in the HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3, REV-1, Chapter 6. Paragraph 6-27 specifically encourages site managers to hold a new resident “briefing” prio...

Under the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD guidelines, you must make every effort to provide “reasonable accommodations” at your site for residents with disabilities. For example, if a resident with limited mobility requests a ground-floor unit, HUD expects that you would try to accommodate the request. If a prospective resident needs a larger unit than your occupancy standards dictate in order to provide space for a live-in aide, HUD wants you to attempt to...

From time to time, you may be asked by a resident to approve the addition of a “live-in aide” to his household. Reasons for the aide vary. The resident may have a disability and need help with day-to-day living. An elderly resident may need an aide for assistance and companionship to continue living independently. Federal law says that you are required to consider the request and, upon verification of the reason for the request, okay it as a “reasonabl...

You are required by HUD to have at least one smoke detector in every unit at your site. It's more than good common sense to take this safety step; smoke detectors can save lives.

Having the required smoke detectors in place also could save you down the road in a legal battle—but only if you have proof that you equipped your units with working smoke detectors. You can accomplish this by having a smoke detector policy that includes a section for your resid...

If you ever have to evict a resident, you need to keep in mind that the resident has certain rights. Among them is the right to meet with you to discuss your rationale for the eviction. Essentially, during this meeting, the resident has the right to present his or her case to convince you not to proceed with eviction.

In 2007, HUD issued final guidance on helping those with limited English proficiency (LEP) gain access to federally funded services and programs. The guidance called for HUD-assisted housing entities to implement a plan that includes translating “vital” written materials and providing access to competent interpreters (unrelated to the person with LEP) on a timely basis when such services are needed to ensure “meaningful access” to HUD information...

HUD has established “Privacy Principles” in which the agency outlines its obligation to protect privacy and safeguard the information that individual citizens entrust to it (see HUD's Privacy Principles on p. 7). This obligation is, HUD says, a fundamental part of its mission to administer its programs fairly and efficiently.

How do you know if a resident has abandoned his unit? What are the signs that it may just be an extended absence instead of abandonment?

Owners and managers of assisted housing often struggle to comply with fair housing requirements. Laws protecting people with disabilities can be especially tough to interpret. To help clarify the requirements, particularly with respect to people with mental health disabilities, the Insider recently spoke with Michael Allen, an attorney who specializes in cases involving the housing rights of people with mental and physical disabilities.