24 C.F.R. § 886.129

§ 886.129 Leasing to eligible families. (24 CFR Part 886)

In Force
Verified 8/21/2026 · Next check 9/20/2026
effective 8/21/2026FederalAffordable Housing Programs

Operative Text

24 C.F.R. § 886.129
(a) Availability of units for occupancy by Eligible Families. During the term of the Contract, an owner shall make available for occupancy by eligible families the total number of units for which assistance is committed under the Contract. For purposes of this section, making units available for occupancy by eligible families means that the owner: (1) Is conducting marketing in accordance with § 886.121; (2) has leased or is making good faith efforts to lease the units to eligible and otherwise acceptable families, including taking all feasible actions to fill vacancies by renting to such families; and (3) has not rejected any such applicant family except for reasons acceptable to HUD. If the owner is temporarily unable to lease all units for which assistance is committed under the Contract to eligible families, one or more units may be leased to ineligible families with the prior approval of HUD. Failure on the part of the owner to comply with these requirements is a violation of the Contract and grounds for all available legal remedies, including specific performance of the Contract, suspension or debarment from HUD programs, and reduction of the number of units under the Contract as set forth in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Reduction of number of units covered by Contract. HUD may reduce the number of units covered by the Contract to the number of units available for occupancy by eligible families if:

(1) The owner fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section; or

(2) Notwithstanding any prior approval by HUD to lease such units to ineligible families, HUD determines that the inability to lease units to eligible families is not a temporary problem.

(c) Restoration. HUD will agree to an amendment of the Contract to provide for subsequent restoration of any reduction made pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section if:

(1) HUD determines that the restoration is justified by demand;

(2) The owner otherwise has a record of compliance with his or her obligations under the Contract; and

(3) Contract and budget authority are available.

(d) Applicability. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section apply to Contracts executed on or after October 3, 1984.

(e) Termination of assistance for failure to establish citizenship or eligible immigration status. If an owner subject to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section is required to terminate housing assistance payments for the family in accordance with part 5, subpart E, of this title because the owner determines that the entire family does not have U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status, the owner may allow continued occupancy of the unit by the family without Section 8 assistance following the termination of assistance, or if the family constitutes a mixed family, as defined in part 5, subpart E, of this title, the owner shall comply with the provisions of part 5, subpart E, of this title concerning assistance to mixed families, and deferral of termination of assistance.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 24 CFR Part 886 § 886.129, housing assistance contracts require that owners keep all assisted units available for eligible families throughout the contract term, which includes active marketing, good-faith leasing efforts, and non-discriminatory applicant screening. Temporary leasing to ineligible families is permitted only with HUD's prior approval, and only when the inability to fill units with eligible families is genuinely short-term. If an owner falls short of these obligations, HUD may reduce the number of assisted units under the contract, and may later restore them if demand justifies it and the owner has otherwise been compliant. Special rules also apply when a family's citizenship or immigration status requires termination of assistance, including provisions for mixed families.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 4, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Operators bound by 24 CFR Part 886 § 886.129 generally maintain documented marketing efforts consistent with § 886.121, keep records showing good-faith outreach to eligible families, and avoid rejecting applicants for reasons HUD would find unacceptable. When vacancies arise, compliant owners take all feasible steps to fill them with eligible families before seeking HUD approval to temporarily house ineligible tenants. Owners should also be familiar with the immigration-status provisions in part 5, subpart E, since § 886.129(e) sets out specific obligations—including rules for mixed families—that apply when assistance payments must be terminated on that basis.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under 24 CFR Part 886 § 886.129, eligible families have a right to be considered for assisted units without being turned away for reasons HUD would not accept, and owners are obligated to actively seek to lease those units to qualifying households. If a tenant believes an owner is not meeting these leasing obligations—such as improperly rejecting applicants or failing to market units to eligible families—that concern can generally be raised with the local HUD field office or a regional HUD program administrator. Tenants in mixed-family households facing termination of assistance due to citizenship or immigration status issues may also have specific protections under part 5, subpart E, referenced in § 886.129(e), and tenant-rights organizations can help explain what those protections mean in practice.

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 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Aug 21, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 1437
Declaration of policy and public housing agency organization
§ 5.100
§ 5.100 Definitions.
§ 5.107
§ 5.107 Audit requirements for non-profit organizations.

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