24 C.F.R. § 5.2009
§ 5.2009 Remedies available to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. (24 CFR Part 5)
Operative Text
(a) Lease bifurcation. (1) A covered housing provider may in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section, bifurcate a lease, or remove a household member from a lease in order to evict, remove, terminate occupancy rights, or terminate assistance to such member who engages in criminal activity directly relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking against an affiliated individual or other individual: (i) Without regard to whether the household member is a signatory to the lease; and (ii) Without evicting, removing, terminating assistance to, or otherwise penalizing a victim of such criminal activity who is also a tenant or lawful occupant. (2) A lease bifurcation, as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, shall be carried out in accordance with any requirements or procedures as may be prescribed by Federal, State, or local law for termination of assistance or leases and in accordance with any requirements under the relevant covered housing program. (b) Reasonable time to establish eligibility for assistance or find alternative housing following bifurcation of a lease—(1) Applicability. The reasonable time to establish eligibility under a covered housing program or find alternative housing is specified in paragraph (b) of this section, or alternatively in the program-specific regulations governing the applicable covered housing program. Some covered housing programs may provide different time frames than are specified in this paragraph (b), and in such cases, the program-specific regulations govern. (2) Reasonable time to establish eligibility assistance or find alternative housing. (i) If a covered housing provider exercises the option to bifurcate a lease as provided in paragraph (a) of this section, and the individual who was evicted or for whom assistance was terminated was the eligible tenant under the covered housing program, the covered housing provider shall provide to any remaining tenant or tenants that were not already eligible a period of 90 calendar days from the date of bifurcation of the lease to: (A) Establish eligibility for the same covered housing program under which the evicted or terminated tenant was the recipient of assistance at the time of bifurcation of the lease; or (B) Establish eligibility under another covered housing program; or (C) Find alternative housing. (ii) The 90-calendar-day period provided by paragraph (b)(2) of this section will not be available to a remaining household member if the statutory requirements for the covered housing program prohibit it. The 90-day calendar period also will not apply beyond the expiration of a lease, unless this is permitted by program regulations. The 90-calendar-day period is the total period provided to a remaining tenant to establish eligibility under the three options provided in paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A), (B), and (C) of this section. (iii) The covered housing provider may extend the 90-calendar-day period in paragraph (b)(2) of this section up to an additional 60 calendar days, unless prohibited from doing so by statutory requirements of the covered program or unless the time period would extend beyond expiration of the lease. (c) Efforts to promote housing stability for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Covered housing providers are encouraged to undertake whatever actions permissible and feasible under their respective programs to assist individuals residing in their units who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to remain in their units or other units under the covered housing program or other covered housing providers, and for the covered housing provider to bear the costs of any transfer, where permissible.
Under 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.2009, a covered housing provider is permitted to split a lease so that a household member who has committed domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking can be removed from the tenancy without displacing the victim. The abusive party may be evicted regardless of whether they originally signed the lease, and the victim cannot be penalized simply because the perpetrator is being removed. When the removed person was the primary eligible tenant under a federal housing program, remaining household members generally receive up to 90 calendar days—extendable by up to 60 more days in some circumstances—to qualify for assistance or secure other housing, subject to program-specific rules and lease expiration dates. The provision also encourages covered housing providers to take feasible steps to help victims stay housed.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.2009 who choose to bifurcate a lease must follow all applicable federal, state, and local termination procedures, as well as any requirements specific to the covered housing program involved. A compliant operator documents the bifurcation carefully, ensures the victim is not penalized or displaced as a result of the action, and notifies remaining tenants of the timeframe they have to establish program eligibility or find alternative housing—typically 90 calendar days, with a possible extension of up to 60 additional days where program rules allow. Operators are also encouraged under this section to explore feasible measures, including absorbing transfer costs where permitted, to help victims remain in stable housing within the covered program.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 5.2009 of 24 CFR Part 5 establishes that if a housing provider splits a lease to remove an abusive household member, the victim cannot be evicted or lose assistance simply because that removal occurs. If the person removed was the household's primary program-eligible tenant, remaining occupants who were not already eligible generally have a window of roughly 90 calendar days—potentially extended further—to qualify for the same or another covered housing program, or to locate alternative housing, though program-specific rules and lease end dates can affect that window. Tenants who believe a housing provider has not honored these protections may consider raising the violation with the relevant local housing authority or HUD office, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 5, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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