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Responsibilities

Review your responsibilities as a resident or tenant, and the responsibilities of KCHA as your landlord in Subsidized Housing or a private landlord who rents to you using your Housing Choice Voucher.

Subsidized housing

I rent from KCHA.

Responsibilities overview

You must make sure that you, your family members, and your guests act responsibly. You must take care of your home, provide needed information to KCHA, and respect your neighbors and KCHA staff. This page has a summary of your responsibilities. Your lease provides the full list of requirements.

General responsibilities

  • Pay your rent on time.
  • Pay repair charges when required.
  • Do not allow people not listed on your lease to live in your home.
  • Do not sub-lease your home.
  • Notify KCHA in writing if you plan to be away from home for more than 14 days.
  • Supply information to KCHA as requested.
  • Provide valid social security numbers for family members age 16 and older.
  • Submit consent forms for family members age 16 and older.
  • Do not commit fraud or misrepresentation.
  • Do not break the terms of your lease.

Inside your home

  • Keep your home clean.
  • Make sure that your family members and guests do not damage or remove any part of your home.
  • Report to KCHA any damage or needed repairs.
  • Immediately report mold or infestation problems to KCHA.
  • Allow KCHA to inspect your home and perform needed maintenance or repairs.
  • Do not make repairs or changes without KCHA’s written approval.

Outside your home

  • Make sure that your family members and guests do not damage any part of the property.
  • Do not store items outside the unit, other than in official storage areas, without written approval from KCHA. (If given approval, you accept the risk of loss or damage.)
  • Park your vehicle only in approved areas.
  • Do not park non-working or unlicensed vehicles, trailers, or boats on-site without written approval from KCHA. This includes parking lots, common areas, and the street.

Health and safety

  • Make sure that your family members and guests do not do anything that negatively affects the property. This includes drug-related behavior or criminal behavior.
  • Report to KCHA any unsafe or dirty areas that may cause injury or damage.
  • Use all systems in your home in a safe, reasonable way. This includes electrical, plumbing, heating, venting, and air conditioning systems.
  • Follow fire safety rules. Clean dryer vents, be careful storing flammable items, and do not use fireworks.
  • Do not tamper with smoke detectors. Report any problems to KCHA.
  • Do not smoke in public areas, except as allowed. You must follow additional rules if you live in a non-smoking building.

Contact your management office if you have questions about your responsibilities or the terms of your lease.

Pet and smoking policies

The following policies are available in PDF format:

Housing choice voucher (Section 8)

I rent from a private landlord.

Tenant responsibilities

This includes the timely payment of rent and utilities. You must use your Voucher unit as your primary home.

In addition, you and your family members must not:

  • Sublease the unit or live with people not on the lease.
  • Damage the unit or property, except for normal wear and tear.
  • Let guests damage the unit or property.
  • Commit serious or repeated lease violations.
  • Commit any crime under federal housing rules.
  • Own the unit. (This does not apply if a family member is part of a cooperative or owns a manufactured home sitting on a leased space.)

You also have obligations to KCHA. You must:

  • Notify KCHA in writing if you plan to live away from the unit for an extended time.
  • Notify both your landlord and KCHA in writing before moving out or ending the lease.
  • Let KCHA inspect the unit at reasonable times, after reasonable notice.
  • Request KCHA’s written approval before allowing additional family members to live in the unit.
  • Give KCHA a copy of any eviction notice.

Your Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher includes your full list of responsibilities.

Landlord responsibilities

Your landlord’s obligations to you should be included in your lease. They must also maintain the unit and the property so that both pass KCHA’s inspection process.

In addition, your landlord must:

  • Decide which utilities will be included in the rent and which utilities you will pay.
  • Make sure that only family members listed on the lease live in the unit.
  • Make sure that your family does not own the unit.
  • Enforce all tenant obligations listed on the lease.
  • Make sure that the total rent for your unit is not greater than rents charged for similar units on the property.

The landlord must not:

  • Live in the unit.
  • Receive any payment for the unit other than your portion of rent and payments from KCHA.
  • Commit any crime under federal housing rules.
  • Be related to you or your family. (KCHA makes some exceptions for disabled tenants with an approved reasonable accommodation. Contact your senior housing specialist to learn more.)

If the property enters foreclosure and you must move, your landlord has to give you at least 90 days’ pre-eviction notice. Learn more about your foreclosure rights.

The Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract lists your landlord’s full responsibilities to KCHA.