HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 4-1
Introduction (HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4)
Operative Text
A. This chapter describes requirements and makes suggestions regarding activities
that occur during the marketing, application, waiting list, and tenant selection
process. Owners may complete these activities before, concurrently with, or
after the eligibility determination made in accordance with the requirements
described in Chapter 3 of this handbook.
B. This chapter is organized into four sections.
Section 1: Tenant Selection Plan describes the required and
recommended contents of the HUD tenant selection plan.
Section 2: Marketing describes marketing and outreach activities to
attract tenants with particular attention to Affirmative Fair Housing
Marketing Plans.
Section 3: Waiting List Management includes information related to
application taking, waiting lists, and record-keeping related to tenant
applications.
Section 4: Selecting Tenants from the Waiting List covers tenant
selection and screening criteria. It also discusses applicant interviews,
and applicable requirements and procedures when applicants are found
to be ineligible, including written notification to applicants of denial of
assistance.
C. All pre-occupancy activities must be undertaken in a manner that does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or
familial status. See Chapter 2 for general civil rights requirements. This chapter
does address some particular nondiscrimination and equal opportunity
requirements for pre-occupancy activities.HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 4-1 establishes the framework governing how federally assisted housing properties must handle the period before a tenant moves in — covering marketing, applications, waiting lists, and tenant selection. The chapter is organized into four sections addressing the tenant selection plan, marketing outreach, waiting list management, and the process for selecting or denying applicants. A foundational requirement running through all of these activities is that they must be conducted without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or familial status.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 4-1, compliant operators maintain written tenant selection plans, conduct affirmative fair housing marketing, manage waiting lists with proper recordkeeping, and apply consistent screening criteria to all applicants. Owners have flexibility in sequencing these pre-occupancy activities relative to eligibility determinations under Chapter 3, but all activities must align with the civil rights requirements outlined in Chapter 2. Operators generally ensure that denial of assistance is communicated to applicants in writing, as described in Section 4 of this chapter.
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 § 4-1 establishes that applicants for federally assisted housing are entitled to a process free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or familial status at every stage before move-in. Applicants who are denied assistance are entitled to written notification of that denial, a right detailed further in Section 4 of this chapter. Those who believe a housing provider has not followed these requirements may consider filing a complaint with HUD or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about 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 25, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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