October 2026 Landlord Newsletter
Table of Contents:
Feature Story
Landlord Incentives Program
County Housing’s Landlord Incentives Program, designed to strengthen partnerships with property owners and expand access to safe, affordable housing across St. Louis County, allows eligible landlords to benefit from a variety of incentives, including:
- Excess Damage Reimbursement
- Security Deposit Assistance
- Signing Bonuses
- Landlord Partnership Fund support
This program reflects our ongoing commitment to making participation in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program more efficient, predictable, and rewarding, while continuing to connect families with quality housing options throughout our community.
To learn more, visit the Landlord Incentives webpage or contact our team at connect@countyhousing.org.
Feature Article
HOTMA Changes Coming January 1, 2027: What HCV Landlords Need to Know
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is implementing important changes to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program under the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA).
Beginning January 1, 2027, Housing Choice Voucher agencies will be required to fully implement HOTMA Sections 102 and 104, which make changes to how household income and assets are reviewed and calculated.
While many of these changes apply directly to HCV families, landlords and property owners may see changes in the timing, processing, or communication associated with some tenant eligibility and rent-related activities.
What Is Changing?
Section 102 – Income Reviews
HOTMA Section 102 changes several requirements related to how a family’s annual income is defined, calculated and reviewed.
Changes include:
Updates to how annual income is defined and calculated.
Changes to certain income exclusions.
Changes to the timing and requirements for interim income reviews.
A new 10% threshold related to changes in adjusted income that may require an interim reexamination.
Changes to certain deductions and hardship provisions.
Changes to how certain assets and income from assets are treated.
These changes may affect when a family’s income is reviewed and how their housing assistance is calculated.
What Does This Mean for Landlords?
Landlords should continue to follow their normal County Housing procedures and should not make changes to a tenant’s rent or lease based solely on the implementation of HOTMA.
County Housing will continue to administer the HCV program in accordance with HUD requirements and applicable County Housing policies.
If a tenant’s income or household circumstances result in a change to their housing assistance or tenant rent portion, County Housing will provide the appropriate notice to the affected parties.
Landlords should:
Continue to follow the terms of the HCV lease and Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract.
Continue to communicate with County Housing regarding matters related to the tenancy, unit, HAP contract or other program requirements.
Review all notices from County Housing and respond to requests for information or documentation by the stated deadline.
Keep landlord contact information current with County Housing.
Continue to report changes that landlords are required to report under the HCV program and HAP contract.
Section 104 – Assets
HOTMA Section 104 establishes new requirements related to household assets.
Under these changes:
There is a maximum net family asset limit of $109,797, subject to annual inflation adjustments. This is the maximum amount of net family assets allowed for new applicants to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, subject to applicable exceptions.
There is an imputed asset threshold of $54,898, which is used when determining how certain assets may affect a family’s income calculation.
Certain non-necessary personal property may be included as an asset when it exceeds the applicable personal property threshold.
Families may be ineligible for assistance if they own real property that is suitable for occupancy, subject to exceptions provided by HUD.
Certain retirement and educational savings accounts are excluded from the calculation of net family assets.
Families with net family assets at or below the applicable self-certification threshold may be permitted to self-certify their assets, depending on PHA policies. The statutory threshold is $54,898, subject to annual inflation adjustments.
These requirements primarily affect the determination of a family’s eligibility and income for the HCV program. Landlords are not responsible for calculating or verifying a tenant’s assets under HOTMA.
Will HOTMA Change My HAP Payments?
HOTMA does not automatically change the amount of HAP a landlord receives simply because HOTMA takes effect.
However, a family’s housing assistance or tenant rent portion may change if a required income or asset review results in a change to the family’s calculated income or other program circumstances.
If a change affects the HAP payment or tenant portion of rent, County Housing will provide the appropriate notification.
Landlords should not independently adjust the tenant’s portion of rent or HAP amount based on a tenant’s reported income or assets. Please wait for official communication from County Housing regarding any change to the HAP payment or tenant rent portion.
What Do Landlords Need to Do?
There is no special action landlords need to take solely because of HOTMA implementation.
Please continue to:
Maintain your HCV-approved unit in accordance with program requirements.
Comply with the terms of your HAP contract and lease.
Respond to County Housing requests for information or documentation.
Keep your landlord and property contact information current.
Notify County Housing of changes that you are required to report under the HCV program.
Review all correspondence from County Housing and follow any instructions provided.
Direct questions about a family’s HCV eligibility, income review or housing assistance to County Housing rather than attempting to determine how HOTMA applies to the family.
A Reminder About Tenant Information
HOTMA-related income and asset information is generally collected and reviewed by County Housing as part of the family’s HCV eligibility and recertification process.
Landlords should not request or attempt to independently verify a tenant’s personal income or asset information for purposes of determining the family’s HCV assistance unless specifically instructed by County Housing or otherwise required under applicable program rules.
We’re Here to Help
HOTMA includes several changes to HCV program requirements, and County Housing is working to implement these requirements while keeping landlords and families informed.
If a HOTMA-related change affects a family’s housing assistance or requires action from a landlord, County Housing will provide information explaining what is needed and when action must be taken.
Please continue to monitor communications from County Housing and respond promptly to any requests or notices.
Additional guidance will be provided as HOTMA implementation moves forward.
Helpful Resources
HUD has developed several resources to help housing authorities, landlords and HCV families understand the HOTMA changes, including:
- Income and Income Exclusions Resource Sheet
Assets, Asset Exclusions, and Limitation on Assets Resource Sheet
For additional information about HOTMA and the HCV Program, landlords may also contact County Housing or visit the HUD resources provided by County Housing.
Sign up for EFT Payments
Get Your Payments Faster!
To ensure you receive your housing assistance payments on time, we strongly encourage all landlords to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). EFT is the fastest and most reliable way to receive your payments directly into your bank account—no mailing delays, no lost checks, just quick and secure deposits.
Signing up is easy! Contact our Landlord Liaison or email us at landlord@countyhousing.org to get started.
Don’t wait—set up EFT today and enjoy faster, more convenient payments!
Planning a Rent Increase?
To ensure adequate processing time and avoid delays, rent increase requests should be submitted between 120 and 60 days prior to the expiration of the HAP Contract and lease term.
Please submit all rent increase requests to rent@countyhousing.org. Requests received outside of this timeframe may not be processed before the contract renewal date.
If you have questions regarding the rent increase process, please contact our office for assistance.
New Caseworker Look-up Tool
We’re excited to introduce a new, easy-to-use resource for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) residents: the Housing Program Specialist Look-Up Tool on our website.
This new tool gives you a simple way to find out who your tenant’s assigned Housing Program Specialist is in real time, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date information.
Resources & Support
County Housing is here to support our landlord partners!
Landlord Portal: Access lease documents, inspection results, and program updates online.
Contact Us: For questions, reach out to our Landlord Liaison at landlord@countyhousing.org
Tips for Success: Maintain good communication with tenants, respond promptly to maintenance requests, and document repairs.
Updates & Reminders
County Housing is committed to improving efficiency and ensuring a smoother experience for our landlord partners. We’re excited to share a few important updates to our submission process and required documentation.
Information in RentCafé
When setting up your account in RentCafé, please be sure to use a generic email address rather than an email address associated with a specific individual.
This will help to maintain contact with the company as transitions in staff members occur over time.
New RFTA Submission Email
To better streamline Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) submissions, we now have a dedicated email address: submitrfta@countyhousing.org
All RFTA packets should be submitted to this email moving forward to ensure timely processing.
Updated Landlord & Ownership Change Packets
We have also updated our Landlord Packet and Ownership Change Packet. These documents are now available online for your convenience at the following link:
Please note:
The Landlord Packet has been newly added and may not have been previously available on the website.
Moving forward, all previous versions of these packets should be discarded.
Only the updated forms found at the link above will be accepted to avoid processing delays.
Why This Matters
Using the correct forms and submission process helps us:
Process requests more efficiently
Reduce delays and errors
Better serve both landlords and residents
We appreciate your cooperation and continued partnership in providing quality housing to our community.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
Connect With Us
We value our partnership with our landlords and want to make sure you know how to reach us when you need assistance. Whether you have a question, need to submit documentation, or want to connect with our team, we’re here to help.
Here’s where to reach us:
📧 General Landlord Questions:
landlord@countyhousing.org
For general questions, assistance, or landlord-related concerns.
📋 Inspections:
inspections@countyhousing.org
For inspection-related questions, scheduling, or follow-up.
🏠 RFTA Submissions:
submitrfta@countyhousing.org
For submitting Requests for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) documentation.
We want to hear from you! Your questions, feedback, and partnership help us continue to improve the landlord experience. When you reach out, please use the mailbox that best matches your needs so we can get your request to the right team as quickly as possible.
2026 Holiday Schedule
- Veterans Day – Wednesday, November 11, 2026
- Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Day after Thanksgiving – Friday, November 27, 2026
County Housing will be closed from Friday, December 25, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027, and reopen on Monday, January 4, 2027.
Thank you for partnering with County Housing!
Your participation ensures families have safe, stable, and affordable housing throughout St. Louis County. We look forward to another great year working together.
