It's not uncommon for residents to want to use devices such as air conditioners, fans, and space heaters for personal comfort and to better control the temperature in their unit. Some site owners and managers would prefer to prohibit such use, but it's likely that residents would use...
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...
A resident reports a broken lock in her unit. It's late in the evening, so you decide to wait until the next morning to have it checked out by maintenance staff. That's a mistake you don't want to make, say security experts. Your failure to repair or replace the lock immediately...
HUD encourages—and federal laws require—equitable access to and usage of your site's common areas and community room for all residents. Handbook 4350.3 (HUD Occupancy Handbook), Chapter 2, notes that under the Fair Housing Act, owners may not “treat anyone differently in...
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...
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...
Suppose a household member at your site has a baby or a relative who previously had not lived in the household moves in. Whatever the reason for the change in the household composition, you need to know about it. That's because HUD rules require that you know and take certain steps when you...
Your maintenance plan includes painting resident units on a regular schedule, but your residents might not always cooperate. For example, they may drag their feet when asked to prepare the unit for painting or grumble about giving the painters access to the unit.
HUD encourages and supports a range of environmentally friendly practices, such as the use of renewable energy sources and green construction and renovation techniques. Many sites are taking steps in the right direction, finding that when they use such practices, they can trim operational costs...
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...
Mold at your site is more than just a nuisance. It can exacerbate health problems for residents and create a legal liability for you. To reduce these risks, take steps to educate residents and involve them in the fight to keep mold to a minimum.
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...
