Real Estate Investor · Washington, DC · Member since 2017 · 26 posts · 1 vote
I currently own two single family homes in the Brentwood neighborhood of DC that are currently occupied by tenants holding Housing Choice vouchers (HCVP).
I've noticed that over the past few years the approved rents for holders of vouchers have gone up substantially and I'm curious what the process is for raising the rent to meet the new government-approved rate.
I've discussed the issue with my property managers and they're under the impression that there are a lot of hoops to jump through, but haven't provided much detail other than that.
Does anyone here have any experience with this? Is it too much of a hassle, or is it something I should pursue?
Real Estate Agent · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2014 · 184 posts · 78 votes
7y
I have called DCRA and DHCD (housing and community dev) in the past and they have been very helpful on explaining the process for increasing rents and whether you are exempt from rent control. You may be exempt. If you are exempt I believe you will need a business license, a C of O etc. Call them and ask.
Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
7y
@David Johnson Check with your local Housing Authority office but it shouldn't be that difficult to raise the rents provided you're not in the middle of a lease. I've raised the rent multiple times with Section 8 and really all it takes is sending a letter requesting a rent increase. I usually include examples of a few comparable properties to show how I came to the new rent amount requested, but that's not required.
All of my requests have always been approved, so don't let your property managers tell you it's too difficult. That's money you could be missing out on.
Like I said, check with your local Housing Authority office, but here's the procedure for requesting a rent increase that my local Housing Authority office provided to me: