HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 3-26
Key Requirements (HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4)
Operative Text
A. Owners must verify all income, expenses, assets, family characteristics, and
circumstances that affect family eligibility, order of applicant selection, or level of
assistance.
B. *Methods of verification acceptable to HUD listed in the order of priority:
1. Up-front Income Verification (UIV)
(a) Using HUD’s EIV system for tenants (not available for applicants)
(Mandatory);
(b) UIV using non-EIV system (Optional)
2. Third-party verification from source (written);
3. Third-party verification from source (oral); or
4. Family certification.
See Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-13 for more information on acceptable verification
methods.*
C. This section covers Verification of Family Composition, Verification of Family
Type and Individual Status, Verification of the Need for an Assistance Animal,
Verification of Income Eligibility, Collecting Proof of Social Security Numbers, and
Verification of Citizenship and Immigration Status. See Chapter 5, Section 3, for
other key requirements regarding verifications,*including income verification*,
and Appendix 3 for information about verification methods.HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 3-26 establishes that owners of HUD-assisted housing must verify all information that affects whether a family qualifies for housing, where they fall in the applicant selection order, and how much assistance they receive. Acceptable verification methods are ranked in priority order, starting with Up-front Income Verification (UIV) — including mandatory use of HUD's Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system for existing tenants — followed by third-party written verification, third-party oral verification, and finally family self-certification. The provision covers a broad range of verification topics, including family composition, individual status, assistance animals, income eligibility, Social Security numbers, and citizenship or immigration status.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 3-26, compliant operators establish documented verification procedures that follow the prescribed priority order for every applicable household characteristic. For current tenants, use of HUD's EIV system for income verification is mandatory, not optional, and operators generally maintain records showing that higher-priority verification methods were used or that lower-priority methods were appropriately substituted. Operators also ensure that verification practices extend to family composition, assistance animal needs, Social Security numbers, and citizenship or immigration status, with additional guidance available in Chapter 5, Section 3 and Appendix 3 of the Handbook.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 3-26 gives tenants in HUD-assisted housing a framework of rights around how their eligibility information must be collected and verified. Owners are required to follow a specific hierarchy of verification methods, and tenants have a right to understand what documentation is being requested and why it affects their eligibility or level of assistance. Tenants who believe verification procedures were not followed correctly may raise this as a concern with their local HUD office, contact a tenant-rights organization familiar with HUD-assisted housing, or consult Chapter 5, Section 3 of the Handbook for additional context on verification requirements.
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 25, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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