HUD 52641-a Tenancy Addendum: Section 8 Tanant-Based Assistance Hous

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. 09/30/2017

1. Section 8 Voucher Program
a.

b.

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.

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.

a.

b.

c.

d.

3. 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 court-awarded 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.

4. Rent to Owner
a.

b.

c.

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.
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:

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.

5. Family Payment to Owner

2. Lease
a.

(1)

e.

f.

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.

6. Other Fees and Charges
a.

b.

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.

7. Maintenance, Utilities, and Other Services
a.

Maintenance
(1) The owner must maintain the unit and
premises in accordance with the HQS.
(2)

Previous editions are obsolete

Maintenance and replacement (including
form HUD-52641-A (09/2014)
ref Handbook 7420.8

redecoration) must be in accordance with the  
standard practice for the building concerned as
established by the owner.

b.

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.

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.

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.

(b)

c.

d.

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.

(3)

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

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 becaus e of:
(1)
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).
c.

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 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
Previous editions are obsolete

d.

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 may include:
(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
may include:
(a)

The tenant’s failure to accept the owner’s
offer of a new lease or revision;

(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).
(4) The examples of other good cause in this
paragraph do not preempt any State or local
laws to the contrary.
(5) In the case of an owner who is an immediate
successor in interest pursuant to foreclosure
during the term of the lease, requiring the
tenant to vacate the property prior to sale shall
not constitute other good cause, except that the
owner may terminate the tenancy effective on
the date of transfer of the unit to the owner if
the owner: (a) will occupy the unit as a
primary residence; and (b) has provided the
tenant a notice to vacate at least 90 days before
the effective date of such notice. This
provision shall not affect any State or local law
that provides for longer time periods or
addition protections for tenants. This
provision will sunset on December 31, 2012
unless extended by law.

form HUD-52641-A (09/2014)
ref Handbook 7420.8

e. Protections for Victims of Abuse.

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.

(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.

(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.

(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 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.
(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.
(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

Previous editions are obsolete

f.

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

g. 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.

9.
Lease: Relation to HAP Contract
If the HAP contract terminates for any reason, the lease terminates
automatically.
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.
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.
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.)
b.
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.
c.
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.

form HUD-52641-A (09/2014)
ref Handbook 7420.8

d.

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

14. Conflict with Other Provisions of Leas e
a.

b.

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.

15. Changes in Lease or Rent
a. 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.
b. 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)

Family. The persons who may reside in the unit with assistance under
the program.
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 PHA-approved 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 a 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.

If the family moves to a new unit, even if the
unit is in the same building or complex.

c.

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.
d. 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.

Previous editions are obsolete

form HUD-52641-A (09/2014)
ref Handbook 7420.8