Property Owners

Thank you for your interest in partnering with MPHA through the voucher program! As of today, 2,300 single and multifamily property owners across nearly every Minneapolis neighborhood already are working with tenants with vouchers.

Our voucher program provides rental opportunities to low-income families by partnering with property owners of private market rental housing in the City of Minneapolis. Participants have the ability locate and rent any type of housing, in any area of the city limits of Minneapolis.

If you own rental housing in Minneapolis, you are eligible to accept rental assistance. We hope to welcome you as a partner soon!

  • Reduced turnover and vacancy costs: Twin Cities voucher holders on average have lived in their unit for 7-years since they moved in.
  • Timely and guaranteed rent payments: In 2019, Twin Cities Public Housing Authorities paid partner landlords on average $865 per month ($10,377 per year).
  • Responsible tenants: Rental assistance is scarce, and few eligible people succeed in securing a spot on a waiting list. After waiting years for assistance, voucher-holders are motivated to keep their apartment and follow lease terms, or they risk losing their assistance and their home.
  • Responsive customer service: At MPHA, Chad Biggers is your Community Engagement Specialist hired to help you navigate the program, address your concerns, and advocate for your needs. Chad can be reached at OwnerOutreach@mplspha.org, or at 612.342.1222.
  • A problem-solving partner: Our staff is trained to support tenants when requested and to remind tenants of their lease obligations. Staff can also help you work through issues or refer you to landlord/tenant mediation.
  • Free inspections: A trained professional provides free annual inspections to ensure the unit is habitable and residents in your unit are safe, helping the property retain value.
  • A chance to make a difference: Researchers tracked a cohort of families who used their vouchers to move from a high-poverty area to a low-poverty area. They found that for young children, having the opportunity to grow up in a low-poverty area increased their lifetime earnings by $302,000. Working with our program can provide families with opportunities to make the best decisions for themselves and improve their lives.

MPHA has also created a unique incentive program just for our partner owners, in partnership with the City of Minneapolis The incentives include:

  1. A one-time $250 incentive fee for property owners new to the HCV program
  2. Reimbursement for losses related to holding an apartment open in response to MPHA request or MPHA delays outside of standard voucher process
  3. Damage insurance program for owners who experience verified damages above what is covered by the security deposit.

Click here for more information!

The process of renting to a tenant with a voucher is similar to renting to a family who does not have assistance. The below image shows the five-step process an owner must take to be a partner in our program.

You can post your vacancy for free on the HousingLink website! Click here to sign up for free (you only need an email) and enter your property information. Additionally, you can reach out to us at owneroutreach@mplspha.org with property details or call 612.342.1222 to speak with the Community Engagement Specialist.

We will soon be launching workshops to help clarify the voucher program process. Stay tuned for more details.

Access to the Owner Portal
The owner portal provides a one-stop, convenient location where you can access everything you need as a property owner with the voucher program. On the portal, you can download PDFs of previous payments, view upcoming scheduled inspections, and view line-by-line inspection results. Click here to visit the landlord portal.

We are here to help you! We have added a few features to our site for our convenience.

Additional Information on Program Specifics
There are certain unique features to the voucher program that many people have questions about, and there are some specifics of our program that changed. We have created several pages to help property owners navigate these program details. They are located here:

Quick Access to Program Forms
You can view all forms related to starting and stopping payments, enrollment/ownership, HAP and lease contracts, and other program forms. Click here for the forms page, and scroll down to the “Property Owner” section

Quick Access to City of Minneapolis Websites to Ensure My Property is Up to Date
You must be properly registered with the City of Minneapolis for us to work with you!

  • To check your property’s status and make sure your rental license is up to date, click here
  • To apply for a rental license, click here
  • To review Minneapolis’s local tenant screening requirements, click here

Here is an FAQ related to COVID-19.

If there is additional information you need, please call the Community Engagement Specialist, Chad Biggers, at 612.342.1222.