HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) posted two brochures, one intended to help tenants with rent arrears approach their landlords about repayment plans, and one for landlords engaging with their tenants to avoid evictions and craft repayment agreements.
“Tenant Guidance: Rent Payment Plans” urges tenants not to wait until rent is due to let their landlord know they are experiencing coronavirus-related financial challenges. CPD urges tenants discuss repayment plans as soon as possible. Tenants are counseled to establish a plan that works for them and not to agree to payment amounts or schedules they are unable to sustain. The brochure includes a sample script tenants can use to ask for a reasonable repayment plan. The brochure also includes a simple repayment plan agreement from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, as well as a longer one HUD uses in non-pandemic situations.
“Tools for Landlords with Tenants Impacted by COVID-19” notes that with many tenants unable to pay rent, landlords have been offering tenants flexibility, including:
- Deferring or reducing payment of past due rent
- Deferring or reducing future rent payments until the tenant’s income increases
- Applying a security deposit or last month’s rent to unpaid rent
The brochure urges landlords to engage tenants to avoid evictions; poses questions landlords can share with at-risk tenants; and lists the types of documents landlords might use to demonstrate that tenants’ income has declined. The brochure lists 14 elements of a repayment plan and offers five repayment agreement templates: one from HUD, one from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, two from state associations of realtors, and one from the National Apartment Association.
“Tenant Guidance: Rent Payment Plans” is at: https://bit.ly/30TtNkN
“Tools for Landlords with Tenants Impacted by COVID-19” is at: https://bit.ly/3fXbWgS