HACC

HAP is paid monthly, directly to your bank account via direct deposit. Payment is made by the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) once:

• The HAP contract is active
• The tenant has moved in
• All required paperwork is complete

If you haven’t received payment, contact the HACC to check:
• Whether the HAP contract is fully executed
• If there are any holds due to failed inspections or tenant ineligibility

Yes, but you must:

• You must give written notice in the form of a rent increase request form.
• Ensure the new rent is reasonable compared to similar market-rate units
• Wait for PHA approval before implementing the increase

Note: Rent increases can be requested once every 12 months.

You can:

• Deduct the cost from the tenant’s security deposit
• Bill the tenant directly
• Follow your lease terms and local landlord-tenant laws for additional remedies

The HACC is not responsible for tenant-caused damages.

You should:
• Follow your usual collection and notice procedures
• Document all communication and attempts to collect
• Notify the HACC immediately
• Begin legal eviction proceedings if necessary, in compliance with local laws

The HCV program only guarantees the subsidized portion — not the tenant’s portion.

Yes, but you must:

• Have valid legal cause (e.g., non-payment, lease violations)
• Follow state/local eviction laws
• Notify the HACC in writing of the lease violation and intent to evict

The HACC does not conduct evictions but must be kept informed.

HACC will:
• Schedule a biennial inspection of the unit
• Notify you (and the tenant) in advance
• Check for compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS)

If deficiencies are found, you’ll be given time to fix them (typically 24 hours for emergency issues, or 21 days for non-emergencies).

Failure to correct violations may result in abated (withheld) HAP payments.

Not necessarily. After the initial term (usually one year), the lease typically becomes month-to-month unless renewed or terminated.

You may:
• Offer a new lease
• Continue month-to-month
• Provide notice to terminate, following lease terms and local laws

Always notify the HACC of any lease changes.

In most cases, yes — as long as:

• You provide proper written notice to the tenant (typically 30–60 days)
• You notify the HACC
• You follow state/local landlord-tenant laws

You cannot terminate the lease for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons.

You’ll receive:

• A list of deficiencies
• A deadline to make repairs (usually 24 hours to 21 days, depending on severity)

If you:
• Fix the issues in time, a reinspection will confirm compliance
• Fail to fix the issues, your HAP payments may be suspended or terminated

Yes, but only if:
• You have legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons
• You provide proper notice to both the tenant and the HACC
• You comply with lease and legal requirements
Examples of valid reasons:
• Sale of property
• Tenant lease violations
• Owner moving back into unit

The tenant is required to report income changes to the HACC. If their income increases, their portion of the rent may go up, and the HACC portion may go down.

This does not affect your total rent, unless the tenant becomes ineligible or the rent exceeds the payment standard.

You must:
• Notify the HACC and tenant in writing
• The new owner may choose to continue or terminate participation in the program
• If continuing, the new owner must:
Complete required Owner Change forms with the HACC
Accept the current lease (until it expires)

You can print / save a copy of your 1099 by logging into your Landlord Portal.

If you have not registered previously to access Rent Café, you must register your account information in order to access your records. Registration requires a unique Registration ID. Please email registration@thehacc.org to have the registration credentials issued to you.

You can also request a copy by contacting HACC’s Finance Department at ach@thehacc.org.

You can change your address by logging into your Landlord Portal.

If you have not registered previously to access Rent Café, you must register your account information in order to access your records. Registration requires a unique Registration ID. Please email registration@thehacc.org to have the registration credentials issued to you.

*Note, this is not the same as reporting a Change of Ownership of an assisted property