How to Get a Rental House HUD Approved

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers rental assistance through the Section 8 voucher program. This program allows the recipient to select a rental house or apartment of their choice, as long as the residency meets HUD requirements. In order to accept payments for your rental house from HUD, the rental house must pass a HUD inspection.

Instructions

• 1

  Inspect the exterior of the house and its surrounding property in order to ensure that it meets basic HUD guidelines. The house must be easily accessible from the street and the property must be free of hazards, such as toxic materials or areas of substantial flooding. The house must not have any significant structural damage (e.g., holes in the roof, broken windows or windows that are boarded up).

• 2

  Inspect the interior of the home in order to ensure that the interior meets HUD guidelines. The doorway must be at least three feet wide and six feet eight inches tall. Each room must have two ways of exiting (e.g., a window and a doorway or two doorways). The interior must include a bathroom that includes a shower or bathtub and a kitchen that includes a refrigerator and a stove.

• 3

  Inspect the electrical system of the home. No electrical wires should be exposed. The fuse box must have a metal cover that can be easily opened and closed. All electrical sockets should be functional.

• 4

  Ensure that each floor has an operating smoke detector. The front door must also have a functional lock.

• 5

  Make all necessary modifications to your rental house so that it meets the above requirements. These requirements must be met prior to accepting HUD payments for the rental house.

• 6

  Attend the HUD inspection appointment for your rental house with the potential tenant. The HUD inspector will set an appointment to come to the rental house and will notify you and your tenant of the date and time of this inspection in advance.

• 7

  Make any additional changes requested by the HUD inspector so that the house will pass the HUD inspection. These changes typically must be made within 30 days of the HUD inspection and require that the HUD inspector return to verify that these changes were made.