Benefits for Landlords of Children Advantage and Fixed-Income Advantage Program

1. Rent level based on family size
2. Up to one year of assured rental payments regardless of tenants’ Public Assistance status
3. Competitive market rates
4. Payments up front — pro-rated rent, three month’s rent, one month’s security and a 15% broker’s fee at lease signing
5. Electronic Funds Transfer for rent payments
6. Quick apartment registration and inspection
7. Access to the citywide Homebase aftercare program to support tenants while in apartment  
8. Helping homeless families leave shelter for permanent homes, self sufficiency and independence

Landlords may rent their apartments through the Advantage NY Program by following a few simple steps:

REGISTERING AN APARTMENT AND CLEARANCE

Download the Advantage NY Program Apartment Registration Form and fax to 917-637-7378 (fax number dedicated to apartment registration documents only) or call the Registration Hotline at 212-607-5310.

Prior to certification of an apartment, DHS reviews the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's (HPD) and the Department of Buildings' (DOB) databases for open lead paint violations, vacate orders and/or illegal creation or conversion of an apartment.  If any of these issues are present, DHS will not process the apartment.  In addition, DHS will verify legal ownership with the Department of Finance Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) database.

APARTMENT INSPECTIONS
Once an apartment passes clearance, DHS staff will contact the landlord to schedule an inspection. This inspection will be a Section 8 quality inspection and follows federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Quality Standards.

Please take a moment to review the following Tips for Passing Inspection to ensure that the apartment is ready for an inspection:

TIPS FOR PASSING INSPECTIONS

Before your apartment is inspected, please review the following common reasons that apartments do not pass inspection. In order for your apartment to pass inspection, you must be able to answer “yes” to all of the following questions:

Is the apartment equipped with window guards, window stoppers, and one-way screws (if necessary)?

By law, all units with children 10 years of age or younger are required to have properly installed window guards. If the unit is intended for a family with children, window guards and stoppers must be in place and secured with one-way screws. The stoppers must be placed to prevent the window from rising above the window guard. Windows also need to open and close smoothly.

Are walls, ceilings and radiators freshly painted and free of holes?

All walls and ceilings must have a fresh coat of paint and have no holes or other severe damage upon inspection. Radiators also must be painted.

Are heat risers insulated?

All heat risers must be insulated at least five (5) feet from the floor to prevent injury. Insulators must be present at time of inspection for an apartment to pass.

Is the apartment free of exposed electrical wiring?

Exposed electrical wiring must not be present in the apartment (exceptions may be made for secured telephone and television cables). Light switches and outlets must have cover plates to prevent injury. Sometimes these plates are removed for painting purposes and then not replaced by the inspection date. Although this is an easy fix, apartments without these cover plates cannot be passed.

Is the apartment equipped with working smoke and carbon dioxide detectors?

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are required by law on each floor of a rental unit; in NYC, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors require hard wiring (NYC Bldg. Code Chapter 9 §§901-912.4 (2004)).

Does the apartment have a working refrigerator and stove?

Refrigerators and stoves must be present and in working condition upon inspection. Gas stoves must be connected to running gas lines and fully operable.

Is there working heat and hot water?

Hot water must be turned on at the time of the inspection and everything that requires running water (i.e., sinks and bathtubs) must be connected to running water and operable. Heat must be working during inspections conducted between October 1 and May 31. Please note that the landlord is responsible for heat and hot water payments, as outlined in the Program Guidelines and the Advantage Lease Rider.

Does the apartment being inspected match the unit that was registered?

If an apartment is registered incorrectly (i.e., incorrect street address or unit number), the apartment cannot be passed until it is correctly re-registered. Units must have the correct apartment number (i.e., 3A) on the front door. Sometimes these are covered when the door is repainted, but must be present for the inspection.

Is there a valid Certificate of Occupancy for the building?

Units constructed or having undergone renovations on a building or house that was built after 1938 may need to provide a certificate of occupancy to verify the legality of construction or renovation.

In addition to ensuring that the apartment meets the above criteria, the apartment must also meet the following standards in order to pass inspection:

• No construction is in progress in the apartment
• Apartment is vacant (i.e., no furniture)
• The building is decent, safe, sanitary, and vermin free (this includes the area immediately outside the building)
• Building and apartment entrances are sound and secure (with a lock)
• Apartment has working mailbox and buzzer (if applicable)
• Floors and coverings are in good condition with no cracks or holes
• All living quarters have at least one heat source and at least one window
• Apartment has at least one avenue of escape (exit windows with gates must be fire department-approved gates)

To schedule an inspection (if apartment already is registered for the Advantage NY program) call 212-607-5310. Please view the Move-in Condition Checklist Requirements to ensure that the apartment is ready for an inspection.

Conditions in which an apartment PASSES INSPECTION:

All inspection standards outlined in the HUD HQS form must be met, and any lead paint hazard (based on observance of distressed paint conditions) must be remedied before an apartment passes inspection.  Click here to see the HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) form to see a sample inspection document that outlines all the conditions reviewers will include in the inspection.

Conditions in which an apartment will NOT BE INSPECTED:

• Building does not have address number
• Apartment does not have unit number (in buildings with two or more units)
• No one 21 years of age or older is present to show the apartment
• Animals are in the apartment
• Apartment is under construction or work is in progress; this includes, but is not limited to:
  • Equipment throughout the apartment
  • Painting
  • Plastering
  • Sheet Rocking in progress
• Minor or location-specific repairs in progress may be acceptable

Conditions in which an apartment will not pass Inspection and needs to be RE-INSPECTED

The apartments in the Advantage NY program are subject to the same standards as Section 8 apartment inspections.  Click here to see the HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) form to see a sample inspection document that outlines all the conditions reviewers will include in the inspection.

Re-inspections may be scheduled once all necessary repairs are made.

Conditions in which a Landlord must REMEDIATE A PRESUMED LEAD PAINT HAZARD:

• Distressed paint conditions are found in the apartment

DHS reviewers will conduct a visual assessment of potential lead hazards. If a presumed lead paint hazard is found during this assessment, the landlord must return a completed DHS Lead Paint Clearance Report to DHS' Office of Re-Housing (OOR) indicating correction of the distressed paint conditions (in accordance with the rules of the City of New York), and provide OOR with passing lead results of lead dust tests conducted in the apartment.

In the event that non-lead related standards are not met the apartment will only be re-inspected once the above process regarding lead paint conditions is conducted and the lead paint hazard is corrected. An apartment will NOT be re-inspected if distressed paint conditions are observed, but all other required standards are met. Landlord will be required to remediate a lead paint hazard by following the process outlined here.

SCHEDULE A LEASE SIGNING

Once a landlord or broker and an Advantage NY program client agree to enter into a lease on an Advantage NY program certified apartment, a one-year lease (with lease rider) usually can be signed within one week.

To schedule a lease signing appointment, Landlords/Brokers should fax an Apartment Linking Form and all required documents to: 718-688-8631.

Once they receive all required documents, the Office of Re-Housing will contact the landlord, broker (if applicable) and client's housing specialist with information about the lease signing date and location.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

At lease signing, DHS will pay:

• Pro-rated portion of the current month's rent to landlord
• One month's security deposit to landlord
• Three months' advanced rent to landlord
• Furniture allowance to cover basic furniture expenses to client
• 15% broker’s fee (if applicable)

Side deals and additional charges beyond the Advantage NY program monthly scheduled rent for the family or individual are prohibited.

RENTAL PAYMENTS AND SECTION 8 PROGRAM CONVERSION

The Advantage NY program rental payments will be made directly to the landlord on a monthly basis until the expiration of the one-year lease, or until the program tenant is accepted into the Section 8 Housing Program, whichever comes first.  Ongoing rental payments will be based on bedroom counts, determined by a family's composition. Rental payments will not be affected by a tenant's Public Assistance (PA) status.

If a tenant is accepted into the Section 8 Program, the landlord and tenant will sign a new one-year Section 8 lease (processed by NYCHA). The landlord and tenant then will be subject to all regulations of the Section 8 Program and the Advantage NY Program lease and rider will immediately terminate. The subject apartment then will be considered a Section 8 apartment.

Amount of Rental Supplement
(Not to Exceed Legal Rent)

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for Rent Payments
Landlords who are interested in receiving rent payments through the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Direct Deposit Program, can click here to learn more. This program provides an efficient method of payment to vendors funded through City agencies. Vendors enrolled in this program will receive payment directly to an authorized bank account.

Please note, DHS will verify legal ownership prior to lease signing and check cutting.

AFTERCARE SERVICES

Tenants and landlords will have access to Homebase, DHS' nationally-recognized homelessness prevention program, for aftercare services including:

• Tenant conflict resolution
• Tenant recertification assistance
• Good neighbor education
• Payment resolution

For all questions concerning Homebase aftercare services in your area, call 311 or the DHS Prevention Hotline at 212-607-6200.

DOCUMENTS

Click here for a list of all documents required by landlords and brokers to expedite an apartment registration, inspection and linking and to schedule a lease-signing date