24 C.F.R. § 93.356
§ 93.356 VAWA requirements. (24 CFR Part 93)
Operative Text
(a) General. (1) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) requirements set forth in 24 CFR part 5, subpart L, apply to all rental housing assisted with HTF funds, as provided in this section. (2) For the HTF program, the “covered housing provider,” as this term is used in HUD's regulations in 24 CFR part 5, subpart L, refers to: (i) The owner of HTF-assisted rental housing for the purposes of 24 CFR 5.2005(d)(1), (2), (3), and (4) and 5.2009(a); and (ii) The owner and the grantee for purposes of 24 CFR 5.2005(e) and 5.2007, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (f) of this section. (b) Notification requirements. The grantee must provide a notice and certification form that meet the requirements of 24 CFR 5.2005(a) to the owner of HTF-assisted rental housing. The owner of HTF-assisted rental housing must provide the notice and certification form described in 24 CFR 5.2005(a) to the applicant for a HTF-assisted unit at the time the applicant is admitted to an HTF-assisted unit, or denied admission to a HTF-assisted unit based on the owner's tenant selection policies and criteria. The owner of HTF-assisted rental housing must also provide the notice and certification form described in 24 CFR 5.2005 with any notification of eviction from a HTF-assisted unit. (c) Bifurcation of lease requirements. For purposes of this part, the requirements of 24 CFR 5.2009(b) do not apply. If a family who lives in a HTF-assisted rental unit separates under 24 CFR 5.2009(a), the remaining tenant(s) may remain in the HTF-assisted unit. (d) VAWA lease term/addendum. The grantee must develop a VAWA lease term/addendum to incorporate all requirements that apply to the owner or lease of HTF-assisted rental housing under 24 CFR part 5, subpart L, and this section, including the prohibited bases for eviction and restrictions on construing lease terms under 24 CFR 5.2005(b) and (c). This VAWA lease term/addendum must also provide that the tenant may terminate the lease without penalty if the grantee determines that the tenant has met the conditions for an emergency transfer under 24 CFR 5.2005(e). (e) Period of applicability. The requirements of this section shall apply to the owner of the HTF-assisted rental housing for the duration of the affordability period. (f) Emergency transfer plan. The grantee must develop and implement an emergency transfer plan and must make the determination of whether a tenant qualifies for an emergency transfer under the plan. The plan must meet the requirements in 24 CFR 5.2005(e), where, for the purposes of § 5.2005(e)(7), the required policies must specify that for tenants who qualify for an emergency transfer and who wish to make an external emergency transfer when a safe unit is not immediately available, the grantee must provide a list of properties in the jurisdiction that include HTF-assisted units. The list must include the following information for each property: The property's address, contact information, the unit sizes (number of bedrooms) for the HTF-assisted units, and, to the extent known, any tenant preferences or eligibility restrictions for the HTF-assisted units. In addition, the grantee may: (1) Establish a preference under the grantee's HTF program for tenants who qualify for emergency transfers under 24 CFR 5.2005(e); and (2) Coordinate with victim service providers and advocates to develop the emergency transfer plan, make referrals, and facilitate emergency transfers to safe and available units.
Section 93.356 extends the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protections found in 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart L to all rental housing assisted through the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) program. Under this rule, owners of HTF-assisted units are prohibited from using a tenant's status as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking as a basis for eviction or denial of admission. The rule also establishes that when a household separates due to VAWA-related circumstances, the remaining tenant(s) are permitted to stay in the HTF-assisted unit, and qualifying tenants may be eligible to transfer to another safe unit without lease penalty.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Owners of HTF-assisted rental housing operating under § 93.356 are generally expected to provide applicants and tenants with the VAWA notice and certification form—developed by the grantee—at admission, upon denial of admission based on tenant selection criteria, and alongside any eviction notice. Compliant operators incorporate the VAWA lease term or addendum supplied by the grantee into all leases for HTF-assisted units, which includes the prohibited bases for eviction and restrictions on lease interpretation. These obligations run for the entire affordability period of the HTF-assisted property, meaning they are not limited to the initial lease term or a single tenancy.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in HTF-assisted rental housing have VAWA protections under § 93.356, meaning a landlord generally cannot evict or deny housing based on a tenant's status as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. If a household separates under qualifying VAWA circumstances, the remaining tenant(s) have the right to stay in the unit, and tenants who qualify for an emergency transfer may be able to leave their lease without penalty. Tenants who believe these protections have been violated may consider contacting the HTF grantee (often a state or local housing agency), a local tenant-rights organization, or HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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