7-11 Owner Responsibilities

• A. Owners must process an interim recertification if a tenant reports:

  1. A change in family composition;

  2. An increase in a family’s cumulative income of $200 or more a month;

  3. An increase in allowances (e.g., number of dependents, a new disability assistance expense);

NOTE : See Paragraph 3-9.D.7 for SSN requirements for adding new household members who are dependents.

4. Most decreases in income except in the circumstance described in subparagraph D below; or

5. A change in citizenship or eligible immigration status of any family members.

NOTE: See Chapters 3, 4, and 8 for other citizenship and eligible immigration status requirements. (Restriction on assistance to

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noncitizens is addressed in paragraph 3-12, denial of assistance is addressed in paragraph 4-31, and termination of assistance is addressed in paragraph 8-7.)

• B. If a tenant reports a change in income that does not increase the household’s cumulative income by $200 or more a month, the owner should not process an interim recertification to increase the tenant’s rent. If a tenant reports any other change addressed above along with an increase in income that does not increase the household’s cumulative income by $200 or more a month, the owner should not include the increase in income in processing the interim recertification.

  1. Example: The tenant reports that a family member has gone to work part-time. The owner verifies the employment income and learns that the household’s cumulative income will only increase by $150 per month. The owner should not process an interim recertification.

  2. Example: The tenant reports they have a new baby and also that a family member has gone to work part-time. The owner verifies the employment income and learns that the household’s cumulative income will only increase by $100 per month. The owner should process an interim recertification to include the new baby as a dependent but should not include the increase in income.

• C. Upon receiving a tenant request for an interim recertification, owners must process a recertification of family income and composition within a reasonable time, which is only the amount of time needed to verify the information provided by the tenant. Generally, this should not exceed 4 weeks.

  1. If the reason for interim recertification is a proposed change in family composition, the owner must screen the proposed additional person(s), including live-in aides, for drug abuse and other criminal activity, including a State lifetime sex offender registration check. The owner must also obtain the new household member’s SSN, unless the household member does not contend eligible immigration status or is an individual age 62 or older as of January 31, 2010, and does not have a SSN but was receiving HUD rental assistance at another location on January 31, 2010. (See Chapter 3, Paragraph 3-9.D.7, Adding New Household Members.)

sex offender registration check. The owner must also obtain the new household member’s SSN, unless the household member does not contend eligible immigration status or is an individual age 62 or older as of January 31, 2010, and does not have a SSN but was receiving HUD rental assistance at another location on January 31, 2010. (See Chapter 3, Paragraph 3-9.D.7, Adding New Household Members.)*

2. The owner may also apply additional owner established screening used for applicants to proposed new persons. In the case of live-in aides, the owner established screening criteria may also be applied, except for the criteria to pay rent on time.

• D. Owners may refuse to process an interim recertification when the tenant reports a decrease in income only if the following apply:

  1. The decrease was caused by a deliberate action of the tenant to avoid paying rent. For example, the owner receives documented evidence that a tenant quit a job in order to qualify for a lower rent.

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2. The owner has confirmation that the decrease will last less than one month. For example, an owner receives confirmation from the tenant’s employer that the tenant will be laid off for only two weeks.

   • a. If the owner determines that the decrease in income will last less than one month, the owner may choose, but is not obligated, to process an interim recertification.

   • b. The owner must, however, implement this policy consistently for all tenants in the property who experience a decrease in income that will last for less than one month.

• E. Owners should not recertify a tenant receiving welfare assistance in an as-paid welfare program when the Public Assistance Agency reduces the tenant’s shelter and utility allowance because it is greater than the tenant’s actual rent.

• F. Owners may delay, but not refuse, to process an interim recertification if they have confirmation that a tenant’s income will be partially or fully restored within two months. Processing may be delayed only until the new income is known.