Landlord Housing Assistance Program (LHAP)

The State of Utah has now activated the rental assistance program that providers can apply for.

We appreciate the many groups who helped create this program, specifically the State of Utah Housing Programs staff, the housing advocates who provided input and help including the Utah Housing Coalition and others, and the legislature who provided funding and allowed owners and managers to apply. Following are the materials.

We have 3 tips for you:

1 – Read the information thoroughly. Government programs require precision and may be difficult to navigate

2 – Understand that the program allows reimbursement for all amounts agreed to in the lease including RUBS (utilities) and other amounts

3 – Know there are experts who can facilitate the process for you if you would prefer. Keyrenter can help connect you with the right groups to have this facilitated.

Landlord Housing Assistance Program (LHAP)

Program Guidance and Rules

Updated 9.8.20

The Housing Assistance Program has been funded by CARES Act Funds awarded to the Utah Legislature and distributed to the Utah Housing and Community Development Division. This program is designed to assist landlords in applying on behalf of their tenants in obtaining or retaining rental housing who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

General Program Rules

Landlord Assistance

1. Rental Assistance will be $2,000 or less per month. Landlord must apply on behalf of tenant(s) monthly. There is no limit to how many times an applicant can be approved within the window of time the program operates.

2. Rent payments will go directly to landlords.

3. No rental assistance will be issued after December 30, 2020.

4. Landlords can apply for this funding through WebGrants.

5. Property owner or tenant may not receive a duplication of benefit from local, state or federal resources. Tenants must disclose whether they have received other local (including churches, Red Cross, etc.), state and federal rental assistance. Property owners who receive rent from tenant or another assistance provider for the same unit and month will be required to repay funds to the State of Utah.

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must have a combined gross income at or below 100% AMI, and
Applicants must have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Property Eligibility

1. Property must be located in the State of Utah

Eligible Uses of Funds

Expenses from March 1, 2020 – December 30, 2020

Monthly Rent including any amounts owed under the lease (i.e. taxes, insurance, utilities) as stated on the lease.
Arrears (payments made for housing assistance over 30 days past due) is allowable for those that didn’t receive a UI benefit for the month(s) seeking arrearages. Covers monthly rent in arrears as stated on the lease.

Documentation

Landlord Documentation

1. W-9 (landlord only)

2. LHAP application (for each tenant)

3. Self-Declaration of Income Form (for each tenant)

Income Determination

Income will be determined by the Self-Declaration Form.

Waivers

Waivers to policy guidelines and rules can be staffed and granted by HCD Program Specialists for extenuating circumstances.

How to Apply

To apply for the Landlord Housing Assistance Program do the following:

Click https://webgrants.utah.gov/index.do and select Register Here
Once registration is complete, you will receive a login and password.
Log into Housing Assistance Program and select Funding Opportunities
Select 20 HAP
Start a New Application.
Project Title: Property Name
Select Go to Application Forms
Under Application Forms, select Landlord HAP Application
Edit, enter in application information, SAVE
Select Add to enter each tenant’s claim information
Select Go to Application Forms
Select Landlord Attachments and attach the W-9 (landlord only) https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9
Select Tenant Attachments and for each tenant attach the following:
Tenant Application for Rental Assistance.
Self-Declaration of Income.
Lease or other written agreement for tenant(s) at the property.
Go to Application Forms and click Submit.

State Contact

Sanobi Johnson: [email protected] or (385)-377-3338

*Provided courtesy of the Utah Apartment Association

The 1031 Exchange – What every investor needs to know

This is a recording of the free webinar workshop aired live on Aug 27, 2020. In this discussion with Exchange Services, LLC president, Mike Anderson, and Keyrenter Salt Lake Property Management president, Nate Tew, we explore the ins and outs of the exchange process. How they can benefit investors, how to prepare for them, what to do, and more importantly how to avoid the common mistakes.

How to Properly Provide Tenant References for Landlords

Click Here for the reference i9nformation referred to in the video.

One of the common steps in screening a tenant is to get verification from previous landlords that the tenant you are wanting to rent to was or is a good tenant. Unfortunately, many landlords don’t want to fill these requests, especially if they are trying to get rid of a resident. And if they do provide it, how can you be sure they were truthful, especially if they really want the tenant to move?

If we turn things around and look at it from your perspective as the landlord of the tenant you are wanting to move out, how do you reply to those? Are you truthful in how you inform the inquiring landlord of the issues you have had? Even when given objective yes/no questions, how do you approach those situations?

There have been situations in some states around the country where attorneys have been hired by tenants to sue former landlords stating they were intentionally preventing their ability to rent based on the poor references the previous landlord was giving to the new landlord. Even if the things were true, there are cases where the legal system agreed with the tenants and punished the previous landlords severely.

This is a risk you may not want to take, and here’s my recommendation and tip.

When you are asked by a landlord to verify rental history, simply respond with: “Our policy is that we do not provide verifications, but instead the tenant is welcome to print out their portal record and ledger to demonstrate their overall rental history. These printouts will confirm the tenancy period, rent amount, payment history, fees charged, and other information that may be helpful in your decision-making process.”

Do I recommend that you still ask landlords for verification of your prospective residents? Yes, I do. But please remember, whatever they tell you will need to be taken with a grain of salt. Their motivations are likely to be influencing their responses to you. You should also request the tenant’s ledger and portal printouts.

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