Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) Guide for Landlords
The Request for Tenancy Approval is the first piece of Section 8 paperwork a landlord signs. A voucher holder has found your unit, you are willing to rent to them, and the housing authority now needs a formal request describing the unit, the rent you want, and who pays which utilities. Nothing is approved and no money is committed when the form is submitted — it starts the agency's review. This guide walks through what the form asks, the choices that most often cause delays, and what happens between submission and the first housing assistance payment.
What the RFTA is and who fills it out
The Request for Tenancy Approval is HUD form HUD-52517. The housing authority gives it to the family at the voucher briefing, and the family hands it to the owner once they agree on a unit. The owner completes most of it — unit address, unit type, number of bedrooms, year built, the proposed rent, the security deposit, the utilities and appliances the owner will supply, and the date the unit will be available for inspection. Both the owner and the voucher holder sign it, and it goes back to the agency while the family's voucher term is still running.
Federal rules for this step are in 24 CFR 982.302 and 982.305. The family may submit only one request at a time, so an incomplete or slow form ties up the family's search. Many agencies also suspend the voucher's search clock while a request is under review, but that is an administrative-plan decision, so confirm it locally rather than assuming it.
Section by section: the choices that matter
Proposed rent. Enter the full contract rent you are asking, not the tenant's share. The agency splits it later. Set it at what comparable unassisted units in the area actually rent for: the agency must find the rent reasonable under 24 CFR 982.507, and an inflated request usually turns into a negotiation that delays move-in by a week or more. Check the local payment standard and HUD Fair Market Rent for the bedroom size before you write a number.
Utilities and appliances. You state who pays each utility — heat, cooking, water heating, electricity, water, sewer, trash — and who supplies the refrigerator and range. Every utility the tenant pays reduces the rent the voucher can cover, because the agency subtracts its utility allowance from the payment standard. Two identical units can produce different outcomes simply because one includes water and trash.
Lead-based paint. For housing built before 1978, the owner must attach the lead-based paint disclosure and certify that known lead hazards have been disclosed. Missing the attachment is one of the most common reasons a request is returned unprocessed.
Owner certifications. By signing, the owner certifies, among other things, that they are not the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister or brother of any family member unless the agency has approved the arrangement as a reasonable accommodation (24 CFR 982.306(d)), and that the rent charged to the family is not more than rent charged for comparable unassisted units the owner rents.
What the housing authority checks after you submit
Once the form is in, the agency runs three checks in parallel. The first is rent reasonableness: it compares your requested rent with similar unassisted units by location, size, type, quality, age, amenities and services. The second is affordability: on an initial lease, the family's share of rent plus utilities cannot exceed 40% of its monthly adjusted income when the gross rent is above the payment standard (24 CFR 982.508). If your rent pushes the family over that line, the tenancy cannot be approved at that rent even if it is reasonable. The third is the unit inspection under the program's housing quality standards.
If any check fails, the agency tells the owner and family what would make the tenancy approvable — a lower rent, an owner-paid utility, or specific repairs — rather than issuing a flat denial. The owner is never obliged to accept a counter-offer.
Timeline from RFTA to first payment
After the agency approves the tenancy, the owner and family sign a lease that includes the HUD tenancy addendum, and the owner and agency sign the Housing Assistance Payments contract. The agency must use best efforts to execute the HAP contract before the lease term begins, and may not pay for any period if the contract is not executed within 60 calendar days of the start of the lease term (24 CFR 982.305(c)). The agency does not pay housing assistance for any time before the HAP contract and lease are in place, so letting the family move in early means carrying that period at your own risk.
Owners who are new to an agency should expect to supply a W-9, proof of ownership, and direct-deposit details before the first payment is released. Submitting those with the request avoids a separate round trip.
Common reasons a request is delayed
Most delays come from missing signatures, a missing lead disclosure on a pre-1978 unit, a rent that is not supportable against comparables, or a unit that is not ready on the inspection date listed on the form. Listing an inspection date when the unit is still being turned over almost guarantees a failed inspection and a re-inspection weeks later. Enter the date the unit is truly rent-ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Request for Tenancy Approval a lease?
No. It is a request to the housing authority to approve a proposed tenancy. The lease and the HAP contract are signed only after the agency approves the rent and the unit passes inspection.
Can I change the rent after submitting the RFTA?
Yes, during the agency's review an owner can agree to a lower rent or change which utilities are included. Agencies typically ask for the change in writing, signed by both owner and family.
What security deposit can I charge a voucher tenant?
Federal rules let owners collect a security deposit, but it may not exceed what the owner charges unassisted tenants or any limit in the housing authority's plan or state law (24 CFR 982.313).
How long does the housing authority have to respond?
Federal rules require the agency to act on the request and inspect the unit promptly; many agencies commit to an inspection within a set number of business days in their administrative plan. Ask your agency for its current timeline.