HUD HCV Guidebook § 8

Request for Tenancy Approval (HUD HCV Guidebook)

HUD guidance — not codified law
In Force
Verified 11/9/2026 · Next check 11/16/2026
effective 9/25/2026FederalSection 8 HCV

Operative Text

HUD HCV Guidebook § 8
Once a family finds a suitable unit and the owner is willing to lease the unit under the program, the family
must51 submit two documents to the PHA no later than the expiration date stated on the Housing Choice
Voucher:
     •   A request for tenancy approval, and
     •   An unexecuted copy of the lease, including the HUD-prescribed tenancy addendum.
The PHA has the discretion to specify the procedure for requesting tenancy approval, and the family must52
submit the request for tenancy approval in the form and manner required by the PHA. PHAs must53 collect the
information on the Form HUD-52517, Request for Tenancy Approval. The Form HUD-52517 contains basic
information about the rental unit selected by the family, including the unit address, number of bedrooms,
structure type, year constructed, utilities included in the rent, and the requested beginning date of the lease.
Owners must54 certify that they are not the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister, or brother of any
member of the family, unless the PHA has granted a request for reasonable accommodation for a person with
disabilities who is a member of the household.55 For units constructed prior to January 1, 1978, owners
must56 either: (1) certify that the unit, common areas, and exterior have been found to be free of lead-based
paint by a certified lead-based paint inspector; or (2) disclose to the lessee the presence of any known lead-
based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards as required by the Lead Disclosure Rule (24 CFR 35, subpart A),

50
   24 CFR 982.301(b)(12)
51
   24 CFR 982.302(c)
52
   24 CFR 982.302(d)
53
   Form HUD-52517
54
   Form HUD-52517
55
   Form HUD-52517, line 12b
56
   Form HUD-52517, line 12c

as described in Section 10.2 of this chapter. Finally, owners of projects with more than four units must57
provide rent amounts for recently leased comparable units within the premises for purposes of the PHA’s
determining whether the requested rent is reasonable (see the Rent Reasonableness chapter).
The PHA has the discretion to permit a family to submit more than one request for tenancy approval at a time.
When determining whether to allow submission of more than one request for tenancy approval at a time,
PHAs may want to consider whether such a practice will be confusing to owners, and whether staff time allows
for such a practice.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 8, once a voucher-holding family selects a unit and the owner agrees to participate, two documents — a completed Request for Tenancy Approval (Form HUD-52517) and an unexecuted lease with the HUD tenancy addendum — must be submitted to the Public Housing Authority (PHA) before the voucher expires. Owners are required to certify they have no close family relationship with the household (absent a reasonable accommodation exception) and, for pre-1978 units, must either certify the unit is lead-paint-free or disclose known lead hazards. Owners of properties with more than four units must also supply rent data for comparable recently leased units on the premises so the PHA can assess rent reasonableness.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 26, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Landlords participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 8 generally ensure that Form HUD-52517 is completed accurately, including unit address, bedroom count, structure type, year built, utilities, and requested lease start date. Compliant owners provide the required certifications regarding family-relationship status and, for units built before 1978, address lead-based paint obligations through either a certified inspector's clearance or a proper Lead Disclosure Rule disclosure. Owners of larger properties (more than four units) also prepare comparable-unit rent data to support the PHA's rent reasonableness determination before approval is granted.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 8, voucher holders have the right to submit a Request for Tenancy Approval along with an unexecuted lease — including the HUD tenancy addendum — to their PHA before their voucher's expiration date. The PHA sets the specific procedure and form requirements, so tenants can contact their local PHA directly to understand exactly what is needed and whether submitting multiple requests simultaneously is permitted. Tenants who believe their rights under the voucher program have not been respected may raise concerns with their PHA, consult a local tenant-rights organization, or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for guidance.

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 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 25, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 888.113
§ 888.113 Fair market rents for existing housing: Methodology.
§ 888.115
§ 888.115 Fair market rents for existing housing: Manner of publication.
§ 0770-01-05-.05
CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

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