Kicking Off the Partnership: The Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA)

You’ve marketed your property, screened applicants, and found an ideal voucher-holding family ready to move in. This is the moment where the informal process of finding a tenant transitions into a formal, documented partnership with the Public Housing Authority (PHA). The official starting point for this partnership is a single, crucial document: the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA), also known as Form HUD-52517.

Think of the RFTA as your formal application to the PHA to have your specific unit approved for a specific family. It is the official “starting gun” that triggers all the necessary next steps from the PHA, including the property inspection and the rent reasonableness determination. Until this form is submitted and processed, no assistance payments can be made. Mastering this step is key to a smooth and efficient lease-up.

The RFTA’s Critical Role

Submitting the RFTA packet is more than just paperwork; it is the catalyst for the entire approval process. When the PHA receives a complete RFTA packet, it initiates several critical, non-negotiable actions:

• Owner Eligibility Check: The PHA verifies that you, the owner, are in good standing and not debarred from participating in federal programs.
• Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection: The PHA schedules the physical inspection of your unit to ensure it meets the program’s “decent, safe, and sanitary” housing standards.
• Rent Reasonableness Determination: The PHA analyzes the rent you are requesting to ensure it is comparable to rents for similar, unassisted units in the local market.
• Final Subsidy Calculation: Using the information from the RFTA, the PHA performs the final calculations to confirm the tenant’s share of the rent and the final Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) you will receive.

Without a complete and accurate RFTA, the process stalls. This document provides the foundational data for the PHA to build the HAP Contract upon.

Completing the RFTA: The Information You Must Provide

The RFTA requires you to provide specific details about the unit and the proposed lease. Accuracy and completeness here are paramount to avoiding delays. Key information you will need to supply includes:

• Basic Unit Information: The full unit address, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, structure type (e.g., single-family home, apartment), and the year it was constructed.
• Proposed Lease Terms: The requested starting date of the lease and the total monthly rent amount you wish to charge (the “Rent to Owner”).
• Utilities and Appliances: A clear breakdown of which utilities (heating, cooking, water, electricity, etc.) are paid by the owner and which are the responsibility of the tenant. You must also specify which appliances (refrigerator, range/stove) you will provide. This information is essential for the PHA to calculate the property’s “Gross Rent.”
• Comparable Rents (if applicable): According to the program handbook, if your property is in a building with more than four units, you must provide the rent amounts for the most recently leased unassisted comparable units on the premises. This is a key data point for the rent reasonableness determination.
• Owner Certifications: You must certify key facts, such as confirming that you are not a relative of the tenant family (unless the PHA has approved the tenancy as a reasonable accommodation for a disability).
• Lead-Based Paint Disclosure: For any property built before 1978, you must attach a completed lead-based paint disclosure statement.

The Submission Process: What to Include

Once a family finds your unit and you both agree to move forward, the family is responsible for submitting the RFTA packet to the PHA before their voucher expires. According to the Housing Search and Leasing handbook, this packet must contain two key documents from you:

1. A Completed Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) Form.
2. An unexecuted copy of your standard lease.

Once the PHA receives this complete packet, the clock starts on their end to review the tenancy, inspect the unit, and issue a final approval or denial.