HUD-52641-A Tenancy Addendum

Tenancy Addendum
Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance
Housing Choice Voucher Program
(To be attached to Tenant Lease)

U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development
Office of Public and Indian Housing

OMB Approval No. 2577-0169
(exp. 07/31/2007)

________________________________________________________________
1.

a.

b.

2.

The owner is leasing the contract unit to the
tenant for occupancy by the tenant’s family with
assistance for a tenancy under the Section 8
housing choice voucher program (voucher
program) of the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The owner has entered into a Housing Assistance
Payments Contract (HAP contract) with the PHA
under the voucher program. Under the HAP
contract, the PHA will make housing assistance
payments to the owner to assist the tenant in
leasing the unit from the owner.

5.

b.

b.

The owner has given the PHA a copy of the lease,
including any revisions agreed by the owner and
the tenant. The owner certifies that the terms of
the lease are in accordance with all provisions of
the HAP contract and that the lease includes the
tenancy addendum.
The tenant shall have the right to enforce the
tenancy addendum against the owner. If there is
any conflict between the tenancy addendum and
any other provisions of the lease, the language of
the tenancy addendum shall control.

c.

d.

Use of Contract Unit
a.

b.

c.

d.
e.

During the lease term, the family will reside in the
contract unit with assistance under the voucher
program.
The composition of the household must be
approved by the PHA. The family must promptly
inform the PHA of the birth, adoption or courtawarded custody of a child. Other persons may
not be added to the household without prior
written approval of the owner and the PHA.
The contract unit may only be used for residence
by the PHA-approved household members. The
unit must be the family’s only residence.
Members of the household may engage in legal
profit making activities incidental to primary use
of the unit for residence by members of the
family.
The tenant may not sublease or let the unit.
The tenant may not assign the lease or transfer the
unit.

e.

f.

6.

Rent to Owner
a.

b.

The initial rent to owner may not exceed the
amount approved by the PHA in accordance with
HUD requirements.
Changes in the rent to owner shall be determined
by the provisions of the lease. However, the
owner may not raise the rent during the initial
term of the lease.

The family is responsible for paying the owner
any portion of the rent to owner that is not
covered by the PHA housing assistance payment.
Each month, the PHA will make a housing
assistance payment to the owner on behalf of the
family in accordance with the HAP contract. The
amount of the monthly housing assistance
payment will be determined by the PHA in
accordance with HUD requirements for a tenancy
under the Section 8 voucher program.
The monthly housing assistance payment shall be
credited against the monthly rent to owner for the
contract unit.
The tenant is not responsible for paying the
portion of rent to owner covered by the PHA
housing assistance payment under the HAP
contract between the owner and the PHA. A PHA
failure to pay the housing assistance payment to
the owner is not a violation of the lease. The
owner may not terminate the tenancy for
nonpayment of the PHA housing assistance
payment.
The owner may not charge or accept, from the
family or from any other source, any payment for
rent of the unit in addition to the rent to owner.
Rent to owner includes all housing services,
maintenance, utilities and appliances to be
provided and paid by the owner in accordance
with the lease.
The owner must immediately return any excess
rent payment to the tenant.

Other Fees and Charges
a.

b.

4.

During the term of the lease (including the initial
term of the lease and any extension term), the rent
to owner may at no time exceed:
(1) The reasonable rent for the unit as most
recently determined or redetermined by the
PHA
in
accordance
with
HUD
requirements, or
(2) Rent charged by the owner for comparable
unassisted units in the premises.

Family Payment to Owner
a.

Lease
a.

3.

c.

Section 8 Voucher Program

c.

Rent to owner does not include cost of any meals
or supportive services or furniture which may be
provided by the owner.
The owner may not require the tenant or family
members to pay charges for any meals or
supportive services or furniture which may be
provided by the owner. Nonpayment of any such
charges is not grounds for termination of tenancy.
The owner may not charge the tenant extra
amounts for items customarily included in rent to
owner in the locality, or provided at no additional
cost to unsubsidized tenants in the premises.

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form HUD-52641-A(1/2007)
ref Handbook 7420.8

7.

Maintenance, Utilities, and Other Services
a.

Maintenance
(1) The owner must maintain the unit and
premises in accordance with the HQS.
(2) Maintenance and replacement (including
redecoration) must be in accordance with
the standard practice for the building
concerned as established by the owner.

b.

Utilities and appliances
(1) The owner must provide all utilities needed
to comply with the HQS.
(2) The owner is not responsible for a breach of
the HQS caused by the tenant’s failure to:
(a) Pay for any utilities that
are to be paid by the
tenant.
(b) Provide and maintain any
appliances that are to be
provided by the tenant.
Family damage. The owner is not responsible for
a breach of the HQS because of damages beyond
normal wear and tear caused by any member of
the household or by a guest.
Housing services. The owner must provide all
housing services as agreed to in the lease.

c.

d.

8.

Termination of Tenancy by Owner
a. Requirements. The owner may only terminate
b.

the tenancy in accordance with the lease and
HUD requirements.
Grounds. During the term of the lease (the initial
term of the lease or any extension term), the
owner may only terminate the tenancy because

of:
(1)

c.

Serious or repeated violation of the
lease;
(2) Violation of Federal, State, or local law that
imposes obligations on the tenant in
connection with the occupancy or use of the
unit and the premises;
(3) Criminal activity or alcohol abuse (as
provided in paragraph c); or
(4) Other good cause (as provided in paragraph
d).
Criminal activity or alcohol abuse.
(1) The owner may terminate the tenancy
during the term of the lease if any member
of the household, a guest or another person
under a resident’s control commits any of
the following types of criminal activity:
(a) Any criminal activity that
threatens the health or safety of,
or the right to peaceful
enjoyment of the premises by,
other residents (including

d.

property management staff
residing on the premises);
(b) Any criminal activity that
threatens the health or safety of,
or the right to peaceful
enjoyment of their residences by,
persons residing in the
immediate vicinity of the
premises;
(c) Any violent criminal activity on
or near the premises; or
(d) Any drug-related criminal
activity on or near the premises.
(2) The owner may terminate the tenancy
during the term of the lease if any member
of the household is:
(a) Fleeing to avoid prosecution, or
custody or confinement after
conviction, for a crime, or
attempt to commit a crime, that
is a felony under the laws of the
place from which the individual
flees, or that, in the case of the
State of New Jersey, is a high
misdemeanor; or
(b) Violating a condition of
probation or parole under
Federal or State law.
(3) The owner may terminate the tenancy for
criminal activity by a household member in
accordance with this section if the owner
determines that the household member has
committed the criminal activity, regardless
of whether the household member has been
arrested or convicted for such activity.
(4) The owner may terminate the tenancy
during the term of the lease if any member
of the household has engaged in abuse of
alcohol that threatens the health, safety or
right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises
by other residents.
Other good cause for termination of tenancy
(1) During the initial lease term, other good
cause for termination of tenancy must be
something the family did or failed to do.
(2) During the initial lease term or during any
extension term, other good cause includes:
(a) Disturbance of neighbors,
(b) Destruction of property, or
(c) Living or housekeeping
habits that cause damage to
the unit or premises.
(3) After the initial lease term, such good cause
includes:
(a) The tenant’s failure to accept the
owner’s offer of a new lease or
revision;

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form HUD-52641-A(1/2007)
ref Handbook 7420.8

(b)

The owner’s desire to use the
unit for personal or family use or
for a purpose other than use as a
residential rental unit; or
(c) A business or economic reason
for termination of the tenancy
(such as sale of the property,
renovation of the unit, the owner’s
desire to rent the unit for a higher
rent).

local law for the termination of
leases or assistance under the
housing choice voucher program.
(4) Nothing in this section may be
construed to limit the authority of a
public housing agency, owner, or
manager, when notified, to honor
court orders addressing rights of
access or control of the property,
including civil protection orders
issued to protect the victim and
issued to address the distribution or
possession of property among the
household members in cases where a
family breaks up.

e. Protections for Victims of Abuse.
(1) An incident or incidents of actual or
threatened domestic violence, dating
violence, or stalking will not be
construed as serious or repeated
violations of the lease or other “good
cause” for termination of the
assistance, tenancy, or occupancy
rights of such a victim.

(5) Nothing in this section limits any
otherwise available authority of an
owner or manager to evict or the
public housing agency to terminate
assistance to a tenant for any
violation of a lease not premised on
the act or acts of violence in question
against the tenant or a member of the
tenant’s household, provided that the
owner, manager, or public housing
agency does not subject an
individual who is or has been a
victim of domestic violence, dating
violence, or stalking to a more
demanding standard than other
tenants in determining whether to
evict or terminate.

(2) Criminal activity directly relating to
abuse, engaged in by a member of a
tenant’s household or any guest or
other person under the tenant’s
control, shall not be cause for
termination of assistance, tenancy, or
occupancy rights if the tenant or an
immediate member of the tenant’s
family is the victim or threatened
victim of domestic violence, dating
violence or stalking.
(3) Notwithstanding any restrictions on
admission, occupancy, or
terminations of occupancy or
assistance, or any Federal, State or
local law to the contrary, a PHA,
owner or manager may “bifurcate” a
lease, or otherwise remove a
household member from a lease,
without regard to whether a
household member is a signatory to
the lease, in order to evict, remove,
terminate occupancy rights, or
terminate assistance to any
individual who is a tenant or lawful
occupant and who engages in
criminal acts of physical violence
against family members or others.
This action may be taken without
evicting, removing, terminating
assistance to, or otherwise penalizing
the victim of the violence who is also
a tenant or lawful occupant. Such
eviction, removal, termination of
occupancy rights, or termination of
assistance shall be effected in
accordance with the procedures
prescribed by Federal, State, and

(6) Nothing in this section may be
construed to limit the authority of an
owner or manager to evict, or the
public housing agency to terminate
assistance, to any tenant if the owner,
manager, or public housing agency
can demonstrate an actual and
imminent threat to other tenants or
those employed at or providing
service to the property if the tenant is
not evicted or terminated from
assistance.
(7) Nothing in this section shall be
construed to supersede any provision
of any Federal, State, or local law
that provides greater protection than
this section for victims of domestic
violence, dating violence, or
stalking.
f.

Eviction by court action. The owner may only
evict the tenant by a court action.

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form HUD-52641-A(1/2007)
ref Handbook 7420.8

g.

9.

Owner notice of grounds
(1) At or before the beginning of a court action
to evict the tenant, the owner must give the
tenant a notice that specifies the grounds for
termination of tenancy. The notice may be
included in or combined with any owner
eviction notice.
(2) The owner must give the PHA a copy of
any owner eviction notice at the same time
the owner notifies the tenant.
(3) Eviction notice means a notice to vacate, or
a complaint or other initial pleading used to
begin an eviction action under State or local
law.

Lease: Relation to HAP Contract

If the HAP contract terminates for any reason, the lease
terminates automatically.

religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status or
disability in connection with the lease.

14. Conflict with Other Provisions of Lease
a.

b.

15. Changes in Lease or Rent
a.

10. PHA Termination of Assistance
The PHA may terminate program assistance for the
family for any grounds authorized in accordance with
HUD requirements. If the PHA terminates program
assistance for the family, the lease terminates
automatically.

b.

11. Family Move Out
The tenant must notify the PHA and the owner before the
family moves out of the unit.

12. Security Deposit
a.

b.

c.

d.

The owner may collect a security deposit from the
tenant. (However, the PHA may prohibit the
owner from collecting a security deposit in excess
of private market practice, or in excess of
amounts charged by the owner to unassisted
tenants. Any such PHA-required restriction must
be specified in the HAP contract.)
When the family moves out of the contract unit,
the owner, subject to State and local law, may use
the security deposit, including any interest on the
deposit, as reimbursement for any unpaid rent
payable by the tenant, any damages to the unit or
any other amounts that the tenant owes under the
lease.
The owner must give the tenant a list of all items
charged against the security deposit, and the
amount of each item. After deducting the amount,
if any, used to reimburse the owner, the owner
must promptly refund the full amount of the
unused balance to the tenant.
If the security deposit is not sufficient to cover
amounts the tenant owes under the lease, the
owner may collect the balance from the tenant.

13. Prohibition of Discrimination
In accordance with applicable equal opportunity statutes,
Executive Orders, and regulations, the owner must not
discriminate against any person because of race, color,

The terms of the tenancy addendum are
prescribed by HUD in accordance with Federal
law and regulation, as a condition for Federal
assistance to the tenant and tenant’s family under
the Section 8 voucher program.
In case of any conflict between the provisions of
the tenancy addendum as required by HUD, and
any other provisions of the lease or any other
agreement between the owner and the tenant, the
requirements of the HUD-required tenancy
addendum shall control.

c.

d.

The tenant and the owner may not make any
change in the tenancy addendum. However, if the
tenant and the owner agree to any other changes
in the lease, such changes must be in writing, and
the owner must immediately give the PHA a copy
of such changes. The lease, including any
changes, must be in accordance with the
requirements of the tenancy addendum.
In the following cases, tenant-based assistance
shall not be continued unless the PHA has
approved a new tenancy in accordance with
program requirements and has executed a new
HAP contract with the owner:
(1) If there are any changes in lease
requirements governing tenant or owner
responsibilities for utilities or appliances;
(2) If there are any changes in lease provisions
governing the term of the lease;
(3) If the family moves to a new unit, even if
the unit is in the same building or complex.
PHA approval of the tenancy, and execution of a
new HAP contract, are not required for agreed
changes in the lease other than as specified in
paragraph b.
The owner must notify the PHA of any changes in
the amount of the rent to owner at least sixty days
before any such changes go into effect, and the
amount of the rent to owner following any such
agreed change may not exceed the reasonable rent
for the unit as most recently determined or
redetermined by the PHA in accordance with
HUD requirements.

16. Notices
Any notice under the lease by the tenant to the owner or
by the owner to the tenant must be in writing.

17. Definitions
Contract unit. The housing unit rented by the tenant
with assistance under the program.
Family. The persons who may reside in the unit with
assistance under the program.

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form HUD-52641-A(1/2007)
ref Handbook 7420.8

HAP contract. The housing assistance payments
contract between the PHA and the owner. The PHA pays
housing assistance payments to the owner in accordance
with the HAP contract.
Household. The persons who may reside in the contract
unit. The household consists of the family and any PHAapproved live-in aide. (A live-in aide is a person who
resides in the unit to provide necessary supportive
services for a member of the family who is a person
with disabilities.)
Housing quality standards (HQS). The HUD minimum
quality standards for housing assisted under the Section 8
tenant-based programs.
HUD. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
HUD requirements. HUD requirements for the Section
8 program. HUD requirements are issued by HUD
headquarters, as regulations, Federal Register notices or
other binding program directives.
Lease. The written agreement between the owner and the
tenant for the lease of the contract unit to the tenant. The
lease includes the tenancy addendum prescribed by
HUD.
PHA. Public Housing Agency.
Premises. The building or complex in which the contract
unit is located, including common areas and grounds.
Program. The Section 8 housing choice voucher
program.
Rent to owner. The total monthly rent payable to the
owner for the contract unit. The rent to owner is the sum
of the portion of rent payable by the tenant plus the PHA
housing assistance payment to the owner.
Section 8. Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 United States Code 1437f).
Tenant. The family member (or members) who leases
the unit from the owner.
Voucher program. The Section 8 housing choice
voucher program. Under this program, HUD provides
funds to an PHA for rent subsidy on behalf of eligible
families. The tenancy under the lease will be assisted
with rent subsidy for a tenancy under the voucher
program

____________________________________________________________________________
Previous editions are obsolete

Page 5 of 5

form HUD-52641-A(1/2007)
ref Handbook 7420.8