If you are a rental property owner but have trouble raising money needed to repair or improve the conditions of your rental units, it will interest you to know that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been offering grants for that purpose.

The HUD financial grants though depend on the location and type of property applied for, as well as comes with certain conditions. Nonetheless, the federal assistance could be the answer to your prayers. If you will optimize the benefits of such grants you can make additional revenue that will allow you to revitalize your other rental housing units; making them more attractive to tenants.

The Multi-Family Housing Revitalization Grants

The main objective for this type of grant is to provide affordable housing to low-income families. Approved grants under this program are to be used in improving and/or repairing housing units for rent in rural areas.

However, the federal government requires rental property owners to enter into a “20-year Restrictive Use Covenant,” which makes it mandatory for them to lease the repaired or revitalized housing facility to low-income residents only. This denotes that the covenant includes a condition that the rental fees must not exceed the amount determined by the HUD as reasonable for low income earners in the related region.

Main Street Housing Grants

Owners of properties located in the historical downtown districts, known as “Main Street” of a community, can apply for a grant for the purpose of renovating a rundown commercial building. However, aside from agreeing to the condition that the traditional historical characteristics of the edifice are preserved, the renovation must be for the purpose of converting them into affordable housing units.

Not all communities with historical downtown areas though, are qualified to offer the “Main Street ” grant. Only townships with 50,000 residents and with less than 100 public housing are eligible to offer this HUD grant.

Housing Preservation Grants

This HUD financial assistance is available to owners of housing units leased to low income families; but only if the property/ies are located in communities where there are less than 20,000 residents. Nonetheless, Housing Preservation Grants also allow landlords to use the funds in making repairs for their own homes. The HUD requires grant recipients to use the funds for repairs and revitalization of the low-income housing units within 24 months, counting from the date of approval.

Hiring Property Managers to Optimize the Benefits of the Housing Grants

Landlords should optimize the benefit of receiving financial assistance that addresses the need to revitalize rental housing units that have not attracted tenants due to their rundown state. Even if the HUD requires landlords to lease the improved units to low income families, the department does not forbid them from screening applicants before accepting them as tenants.

However, there are federal government laws that stipulate the legal reasons for rejecting an applicant. That is why landlords who are not familiar with such laws find it necessary to engage the services of property managers. That way, they are assured that they will only be taking in quality tenants, whilst rejecting only those that fall under the categories deemed as legal reasons for rejection.

In Atlanta, the services for property management peachtree city ga professionals offer, include assistance in legal documentation, tenant screening, background checking, rental collection, addressing repair and maintenance issues, as well as handling tenant complaints, and when necessary, pursuing evictions.