How it works
- Landlords may enroll in the program at any time.
- Tenants identify their landlord when applying for assistance. If a tenant’s landlord is not already enrolled, the landlord will be contacted and asked to enroll.
- Once a tenant’s application is approved, the landlord will be asked to confirm the amount of the tenant’s past-due rent and accept any prospective payments for future months.
- After confirming, the tenant and landlord will receive a ‘confirmed pledge’ email indicating the amount of rental assistance approved.
- Program administrators will pay the ‘confirmed pledge’ amount via electronic payment (ACH) to the landlord’s bank account. The landlord must then credit the tenant’s account within 5 business days.
Funding Availability
Funding is available for past-due rent from April 2020 onward, for months in which no other rental assistance has been received, not to exceed 12 months total. Households may also be eligible for up to two months of future rental support as well as utility assistance for past due electricity, gas or water bills that are paid directly to the landlord. The landlord must confirm the amount of past-due rent and utilities that are requested.
Landlord Enrollment
Landlords will register by completing a landlord enrollment form, agreeing to Landlord Terms & Conditions, and uploading supporting documents, including a signed W-9 and a canceled check or ACH payment instructions. To review all of the Landlord Terms & Conditions, please go here.
Landlords who participated in the 2020 BakerRipley COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program can continue without the need for re-enrollment but should be aware that the Landlord Terms and Conditions have been modified. Landlords who need to update any of the information on their enrollment form should email [email protected].
If a tenant applies for the program and their landlord is not yet enrolled, the landlord will be contacted and asked to enroll. If no response is received within 14 days, any approved payments may be made directly to the tenant. Landlords are encouraged to enroll in order to facilitate faster, more direct payment.
Landlord Guidelines
Participating landlords agree to:
- Give the tenant credit for any partial payments
- Waive all late fees, penalties, and interest related to past-due rent
- Not pursue enforcement of any judgements, writs of possession or other litigation until a final decision is made on the tenant’s application
- Rescind or cancel any prior notice to vacate, dismiss any eviction suit, and rescind or cancel any writ of possession based on non-payment within five business days of payment if the tenant’s application is approved
- Refrain from issuing a notice to vacate, initiating an eviction proceeding, or performing an eviction against Qualified Tenants as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through dates consistent with the nationwide eviction moratorium
- Not interfere with the tenant's possession of the rental unit/property
Program Eligibility
Landlords with residential property located within the City of Houston or Harris County are eligible to participate.
Note: Guidelines listed here correspond to grants funded by the US Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the primary source of funding for this program. Guidelines for funding from other sources may vary slightly.
