Renewal FAQs

Your first step should be to look at the Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide . We have an Option Eligibility page with submission requirements.

Your Contract Renewal Paperwork should be submitted 120 days prior to your contract expiration. Your CMS will process the renewal and rent adjustment, if applicable, by first confirming your eligibility, and then determining the completeness of your submission. If necessary, the CMS will contact you for more information.

Yes. Required documents vary by the applicable renewal option and rent-adjustment method.

Review the Amend Rents Checklist for rent-adjustment requirements and the Option Eligibility page for renewal-option submission requirements.

Contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist if you are unsure which requirements apply to your property.

Generally, contract terms shall be for one year to five years, subject to appropriations. The contract can be up to 20 years with HUD approval (contract not to exceed the remaining life of the mortgage).

• If an Owner chooses a contract term of more than one year, the contract will be funded for one year with the balance of the years selected by the Owner being subject to annual appropriations.
• The effective date of the new contract is the day following the expiration date of the previous contract.

Per the Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide, the Owner’s certification regarding suspension or debarment on the renewal worksheet (HUD-9624) must be verified by using the System for Award Management (SAM). To ensure that your Entity has been registered or updated in SAM, go to SAM.gov. If you elect to opt out of public display, you will have to provide the CMS with a current printout to show that there are no active exclusion records.

You can use the “Check Entity Status” tool to check the status of an existing entity registration (KB0016313) or for a record pending assignment of a Unique Entity ID (UEI). You must be signed in to your SAM.gov account and have a role assigned with the entity or be signed in with a federal government email address (ends in .mil, .gov, .si.edu, .dodea.edu, or uhus.edu) to use the Check Entity Status tool. If neither is the case, you CANNOT use this tool to check an entity’s registration status.

We need verification of the names and titles listed on page 2 of the previous approved rent schedule for the Principals Comprising Mortgagor Entity section. The CMS will ask the O/A to confirm if any changes should be made from the previous approved rent schedules. Please ensure the Active Partners Performances System (APPS) has been updated with changes in the organization of the participant entity. for Quick Tips on the APPS system, click here:  http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=appsquicktips.pdf

The Owner or someone authorized to sign for the Owner/Entity should sign rent adjustment/renewal paperwork, Rent Schedules, and HAP Contracts. To verify signature authorization, we ask for a legal document in which someone has signed as the Owner/Entity. This can include Articles of Incorporation, Partnership Agreement, Management Certification, HAP Assignment, etc. For 202 properties with Board Members that may frequently change, documentation of the submission of the 2530 to HUD can be submitted as verification. The titles and members must be verified annually, so the CMS will ask if the board members are still active. Navigate has a Signature Authorization Form to allow the authorized person that signs for the Owner/Entity to authorize other individuals to sign paperwork, Rent Schedules, and HAP Contracts.

Yes. An owner may request early termination and renewal of a Section 8 HAP contract, subject to applicable HUD requirements and contract terms. Early termination and renewal is different from opting out of Section 8.

Contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist or email renewals@navigatehousing.com to confirm eligibility and next steps.

Depends on which renewal options you are eligible for and the age of the current RCS ( RCS has a term of 5 yrs).

• Options 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, and 3B require an RCS.
• Options 4 and 5 may require an RCS. You should be able to find out in your plan of action for Option 5b, Preservation properties, that require an AAF adjustment.
• Also, in certain cases a Pre-MAHRA property may have to submit an RCS when completing an AAF.

Click on the following link for a list of approved appraisers: HUD Approved Appraisers

A Rent Comparability Study (RCS) that is less than five years old may still need to be replaced. The requirement depends on the renewal option, HAP contract terms, and timing of the transaction.

For applicable Option 1 or Option 2 contracts, a new RCS may be needed to align the study with the contract’s fifth-year adjustment cycle. Comparable-rent adjustments may increase or decrease contract rents.

Before ordering another study, ask your assigned Contract Management Specialist to confirm the requirement and timing for your property, including any early termination and renewal request.

Available contract-rent adjustment methods depend on the property’s HAP contract and renewal option. They may include OCAF, Budget-Based Rent Increase, and Comparable Rent Adjustment supported by a Rent Comparability Study (RCS).

AAF may apply to certain existing contracts; it is not a general MAHRA renewal adjustment method.

Utility allowances are separate from contract-rent adjustment methods. Documentation requirements depend on applicable program requirements.

Review our Rent Adjustment Program and contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist for property-specific guidance.

Available contract-rent adjustment methods depend on the property’s HAP contract and renewal option. They may include OCAF, Budget-Based Rent Increase, and Comparable Rent Adjustment supported by a Rent Comparability Study (RCS).

AAF may apply to certain existing contracts; it is not a general MAHRA renewal adjustment method.

Utility allowances are separate from contract-rent adjustment methods. Documentation requirements depend on applicable program requirements.

Review our Rent Adjustment Program and contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist for property-specific guidance.

Visit our Resource Center for everything needed to process your rent adjustment or contract renewal.

An OCAF rent adjustment uses HUD’s annual Operating Cost Adjustment Factor to adjust eligible Section 8 contract rents. The factor reflects estimated changes in operating costs, such as utilities, maintenance, insurance, and administrative expenses.

Owners and agents may use an OCAF adjustment when allowed under the property’s contract renewal option. They should review current HUD guidance, complete the required forms, and submit the renewal package by the applicable deadline.

Here is the link to the current OCAF factor: OCAF Factors

The debt service is calculated by

Principal + Interest + MIP – IRP
(This needs to be an annual amount, if monthly, multiply times 12)

You can submit a current monthly statement or an Amortization schedule for backup.

Even though your contract was renewed for five years, funding is obligated on an annual basis. Years two through five of the contract term are considered Amend Rents years. You need to submit your Amend Rents request at least 120 days before the anniversary date of your contract to ensure funds are obligated for the next year of your contract.

Funding is not issued during the rent-adjustment period; funding is allocated according to applicable allocations. For contract renewals, funding is determined by HUD Headquarters.

For funding updates, contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist or email renewals@navigatehousing.com.

Your Contract Management Specialist will notify you of any changes made to your calculations on the approval letter. If you disagree with the budget approved rents on the rent schedule Navigate sends to you for signature, see Section 11, Chapter 7 of the 4350.1, Procedures for Appealing Budgeted Rent Increase Adjustments.

Properties eligible for the Auto OCAF may have the option to elect a zero budget-based rent adjustment in lieu of the OCAF adjustment. Electing this option will result in renewed funding at current rents and the OCAF adjustment may not be recouped retroactively in the future. Electing this option does not mean that a budget worksheet needs to be submitted.

Your Contract Management Specialist will contact you if any additional information is needed to complete your request. Once approved, you will receive an approval letter with your renewed rents.

• Navigate has 30 calendar days from receipt of the initial package to process a rent adjustment.
  Your assigned Contract Management Specialist will contact you if additional information is needed. Once approved, you will receive an approval letter, updated rent schedules, and applicable documents for signature.

  The 30-calendar-day processing period does not establish a HUD funding date or guarantee delivery of fully executed documents. For submission-status or funding updates, contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist or renewals@navigatehousing.com.

• For contract renewals, you will receive the approval letter only, and once funding is received, we will forward the contracts and rent schedules to you for signature. Once the signed documents have been returned to Navigate, we will sign them and send the HAP contracts to HUD to be fully executed. Once the fully executed contracts have been received from HUD, we will forward your fully executed contract and rent schedule for your records.

Owners of multifamily housing properties that receive subsidy assistance, and for which HUD provides a utility allowance, are required to adjust their properties’ utility allowances every year at the time of the annual and special adjustments of contract rents. Multifamily property owners must establish baseline utility allowances for each of their bedroom sizes once every third year, which are determined by using the baseline utility analysis outlined in Notice H-2015-04. For the two years after the baseline is established, O/As have the option to perform a factor-based utility analysis, as described in Notice H-2015-04.

Yes, with each request for a rent adjustment, the property owner is required to complete an analysis of the current Utility Allowance. Even if the analysis results in the UA remaining at current, you must submit your analysis to be reviewed.

It applies to both. You should explain why the increase occurred (e.g. higher rates, new staff, etc.) and provide any back up documentation that you have (e.g. letters from utility companies, insurance providers, salary schedules, etc.)

To prepare the HUD-92547-A Budget Worksheet, owners should have the applicable financial information and supporting documentation available, including:

• Current and proposed income and expense information
• Audited Financials
• Supporting documentation for applicable expense increases
• Debt Service Verification, if applicable
• Required reserve and other property-specific financial information
• Owner’s Certification Regarding Purchasing Practices and Reasonableness of Expenses, when applicable

The HUD-92547-A should be signed and dated.

This question addresses preparation of the budget worksheet. Documents required for the complete submission package vary by renewal option and rent-adjustment method.

Budget-Based Rent Increase requirements depend on whether the request is being submitted as an amend-rents adjustment or as part of a contract renewal.

For an Amend Rents – Budget request, review the current Amend Rents – Budget checklist for required and applicable documents.

For a contract renewal, required documents vary by renewal option. Review the requirements for the applicable renewal option to determine the complete submission package.

Contact your assigned Contract Management Specialist if you are unsure which requirements apply.