HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 4-14
Taking Applications for Occupancy (HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4)
Operative Text
A. Key Requirements
1. Application. Anyone who wishes to be admitted to an assisted property or
placed on a property’s waiting list must complete an application. In
addition to providing applicants the opportunity to complete applications at
the project site, owners may also send out and receive applications by
mail. Owners shall accommodate persons with disabilities who, as a
result of their disabilities, cannot utilize the owner’s preferred application
process by providing alternative methods of taking applications.
2. Applicant certification. The application must include a signature from the
applicant certifying the accuracy and completeness of information
provided. See the discussion in Chapter 5, Section 3 for information
about the Privacy Act and disclosure requirements.
3. *Supplemental Information to Application for Assistance. The application
must include as an attachment, form HUD-92006, Supplement to
Application for Federally Assisted Housing. See D below for instructions
on use of this form.*
4. The applicant provides self-certification of their race and ethnicity for data
collection by using form HUD-27061-H (Exhibit 4-3). Completing this form
is optional and there is no penalty for not completing it. Owners should
not complete the form on behalf of the tenant. When the applicant
chooses not to self certify race or ethnicity, a notation that the applicant
chose not to provide the race and ethnicity certification *may* be placed in
their file.
B. Contents of Application
1. Although HUD does not prescribe an application format, a written
application form used to initiate verification of eligibility factors should
include the following data:
a. Household characteristics – name, sex, age, disability status (only
where necessary to establish eligibility) of each household
member, need for an accessible unit, and race/ethnicity of head of
household;
b. General household contact information – address, phone number;
c. Identification of the approved preferences, if HUD approval is
required, for which the household qualifies (only if preferences are
used at the property);
d. Source(s) and estimate(s) of household’s anticipated annual
income and assets;
e. Citizenship declaration (see Exhibit 3-5) and verification consent
forms (see Exhibit 3-6). (This is not required for 221(d)(3) BMIR
(without Section 8 or any other assistance), 202 (without Section
8), 202 PAC, 202 PRAC, and 811 PRAC properties that have no
other subsidy);
f. Marketing information to understand how the applicant heard
about the property; and
g. Screening information – prior landlords, credit, and drug and
criminal history, consistent with the property’s tenant selection
policies.
2. *The owner’s application must request the following information from
applicants.
a. Whether the applicant or any member of the applicant’s
household, is subject to State lifetime sex offender registration in
any state.
b. Listing of states where the applicant and members of the
applicant’s household have resided.
c. Disclosure of SSNs for the applicant and for all members of the
applicant’s household, except those household members who do
not contend eligible immigration status.
d. Information from applicants who were age 62 or older as of
January 31, 2010, and who do not have a SSN, if they were
receiving HUD rental assistance at another location on January
31, 2010. This information is needed in order for the owner to
verify whether the applicant qualifies for the exemption from
disclosing and providing verification of a SSN.
3. The owner must include as an attachment to the application form HUD-
92006, Supplement and Optional Contact Information for HUD-Assisted
Housing Applicants, Supplement to Application for Federally Assisted
Housing.*
C. Types of Applications
Owners may choose to use a "full" application form, requiring all the detailed
information needed to make a determination of eligibility, or a shorter pre-
application form.
1. If an applicant will be placed on a waiting list, as opposed to being
immediately offered a unit, the owner may use a pre-application (brief
form of application), which provides the minimum information needed to
determine if the applicant should be put on the waiting list.
2. If only a preliminary application has been completed, a full application
should be completed at the time a unit is available so that the owner has
enough information to determine the applicant's eligibility completely.
D. *Supplement to Application for Federally Assisted Housing
Section 644 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 requires
owners to provide applicants, as a part of their application for housing, the option
to include information on an individual or organization that may be contacted to
assist in providing any delivery of services or special care to applicants who
become tenants and to assist with resolving any tenancy issues arising during
tenancy.
1. At time of application:
a. Owners must provide applicants the opportunity to complete the
information on form HUD-92006, Supplement to Application for
Federally Assisted Housing. This form gives applicants the option
to identify an individual or organization that the owner may contact
and the reason(s) the individual or organization may be contacted.
The applicants, if they choose to provide the additional contact
information, must complete, sign and date the form.
b. Owners cannot require that applicants provide the contact
information, as providing contact information is optional on the
part of the applicant. Those applicants who choose not to provide
the contact information should check the box indicating that they
“choose not to provide the contact information” and sign and date
the form.
c. Owners should provide applicants the opportunity at time of
admission to update, remove or change contact information
provided at the time of application, particularly if a long period of
time has elapsed between the time of application and actual
admission.
d. If the applicant chooses to have more than one contact person or
organization, the applicant must make clear to the owner the
reason each person or organization may be contacted. The
owner should accommodate the applicant by allowing them to
complete a form HUD-92006 for each contact and indicate the
reason the owner may contact the individual or organization.
For example, the applicant may choose to have a relative as a
contact for emergency purposes and an advocacy organization for
assistance for tenancy purposes.
2. After admission:
a. Owners should provide tenants who were not provided the
opportunity to provide contact information at the time of
application and admission, the option to complete form HUD-
92006 and provide contact information at the time of their annual
recertification.
b. Owners cannot require tenants who have not provided contact
information to provide the contact information, as providing this
information is optional on the part of the individual or family.
c. Tenants may request to update, remove or change the information
provided on form HUD-92006 at any time and owners must honor
this request.
d. Owners should provide tenants who have provided contact
information using form HUD-92006 the opportunity to update,
remove or change the information at the time of annual
recertification to ensure that current information is on file. This
includes allowing tenants who originally chose not to provide
contact information the opportunity to provide contact information
if they request to do so. Remember, providing contact information
is optional on the part of applicants and tenants.
3. Owners use of the contact information.
Owners will contact the individual or organization provided only for the
use or uses indicated by the applicant or tenant on form HUD-92006.
This contact information will assist the owner in providing the delivery of
services or special care to the tenant and assist in any tenancy issues
arising during the term of tenancy of the tenant.
4. Retention and confidentiality of contact information.
a. If the applicant does not become a tenant, the owner will retain the
form HUD-92006 with the application for three years. (See
Paragraph 4-22.B)
b. If the applicant becomes a tenant, the owner will retain the form
HUD-92006 with the application for the term of tenancy plus three
years. (See Paragraph 4-22.C)
c. Owners must keep the contact information confidential. Owners
are allowed to release the information for the stated statutory
purpose only: To assist the owners in providing services or
special care for such tenants, and in resolving issues that may
arise during the tenancy of such tenants.*HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 4-14 establishes the rules governing how applications for federally assisted housing must be structured and administered. Owners of assisted properties are required to accept applications, accommodate applicants with disabilities who cannot use the standard process, and attach specific HUD forms—including form HUD-92006 and form HUD-27061-H—to every application. The provision also sets out what information must be collected, such as household composition, income, Social Security numbers, and sex offender registration status, while making certain items like race/ethnicity self-certification entirely optional with no penalty for declining.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 4-14, compliant operators ensure their application packages include all required HUD forms—particularly form HUD-92006 (Supplement to Application for Federally Assisted Housing) and form HUD-27061-H for optional race/ethnicity data—and that the application collects all mandatory disclosures, including SSNs and sex offender registration history. Operators provide alternative application methods for applicants whose disabilities prevent them from using the standard process, and they never complete the race/ethnicity form on an applicant's behalf. Contact information submitted on form HUD-92006 is kept strictly confidential, used only for the purposes the applicant designated, and retained for three years after denial or for the full tenancy period plus three years if the applicant is admitted.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 4-14 of HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 gives applicants and tenants several important protections: completing the race/ethnicity form HUD-27061-H is entirely optional and carries no penalty, and providing supplemental contact information on form HUD-92006 is also voluntary. Applicants with disabilities have the right to request an alternative application method if the owner's standard process is inaccessible to them. Tenants who believe an owner has failed to follow these application requirements—such as improperly requiring optional information or failing to accommodate a disability—can raise these concerns with a HUD field office, a local tenant-rights organization, or by consulting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's complaint processes.
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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