Section 8 lease-up in NYC: the HQS inspection checklist and the HAP contract, step by step

Published October 6, 2026 · 8 min read · By Bulwark

Section 8, the federal Housing Choice Voucher, is administered in New York City by three agencies: NYCHA (the largest), HPD (for its own programs and some special vouchers) and New York State HCR. The forms differ slightly; the process is the same.

1. Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA / RTA)

The tenant gives you the agency’s request packet. You complete the owner portion: unit details, proposed rent, utilities paid by whom, ownership proof, W-9, and the lease you intend to use. The agency will not inspect until this is complete.

2. Rent reasonableness

The agency compares your asking rent to similar unassisted units nearby. The rent also cannot exceed the payment standard for the bedroom size and ZIP code unless the tenant pays the difference within limits. Ask for the maximum that passes; asking for more delays the file while they negotiate it down.

3. The HQS inspection, what fails

• Peeling, chipping or cracking paint anywhere in a pre-1978 unit
• Missing or non-working smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors
• Window guards missing where required; windows that do not open, close or lock
• Loose or missing handrails on stairs with four or more steps
• Outlets without cover plates, reversed polarity, open ground, exposed wiring
• Stove burners or oven not working; refrigerator not cooling
• Water heater without a pressure-relief discharge line
• Leaks, water damage, mold, pests
• Trip hazards: torn flooring, loose tiles, broken steps
• Inoperable bathroom ventilation (window or fan), no hot water

Fail items are re-inspected; two fails can send the tenant back to search elsewhere. We pre-walk the unit against this list and fix the small things before the inspector arrives.

4. The HAP contract and lease

When the unit passes, you sign the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with the agency and the lease with the tenant, with the required Tenancy Addendum attached. The HAP contract starts on the lease start date, and the first payment typically arrives four to eight weeks later, retroactive. Any lease term that conflicts with the Tenancy Addendum is void, so use the agency’s language.

5. After lease-up

• Annual (or biennial) HQS re-inspection, keep the unit as it passed
• Rent increases: requested in writing 60 days before the lease anniversary, subject to reasonableness
• Tenant income changes alter the split between tenant and agency shares, not the total
• Portability: a tenant may move with the voucher; you get notice
• Report any change of ownership or payee immediately or payments stop

Our program-housing service handles every step from the RFTA to the first payment, and keeps the recertifications on a calendar after that.