INSIDER's Pop Quiz!

Q: A resident has lost his job, and you are delaying the household’s interim recertification until the resident’s unemployment claim has been completed and the new income is known. During the delay, the household stops paying rent. Can you start the eviction process?

A: No. During the delay, you can neither:

• Evict the household for nonpayment of rent [Handbook 4350.3, par. 7-11(F)(1)(b)]; nor
• Charge it a fee for a late rent payment [Handbook 4350.3, par. 7-11(F)(1)(c)].

After you learn the household’s new income and verify it, you must recertify the household and retroactively apply any rent reduction to the first day of the month after the date the household’s income decreased [Handbook 4350.3, par. 7-11(F)(2)(b)].

For tips on performing interim recertifications, see “Perform Interim Recertification After Five Household-Reported Changes,” available to subscribers here.