Prospective tenants will be in touch with the contact person listed for the property and will provide the landlord with a Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) form. The landlord is responsible for completing the form and the tenant will return the form to the Section 8 office.

If the rent is deemed reasonable and it is determined that the applicant can  afford his/her portion of the rent, a Section 8 housing inspector will evaluate the property under IHA Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and rent reasonableness. If the property meets the HQS criteria, the IHA will provide the tenant and owner with written authorization to move in.  IHA will mail the contracts.  Once the signed lease and contracts are returned to  IHA.  IHA will execute the contracts and  begin sending Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) to the landlord.

There are very few differences between the Section 8 Program participant and the average private-market renter. Landlords may use standard procedures as permitted by law to screen Section 8 applicants. This may include asking for a reasonable application fee.

The benefits of being a Section 8 landlord include free advertising for available units and first-hand information concerning government rules and regulations that affect both private-market and subsidized housing.