COS Leasing Regulations & Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Fair Housing Act, which of the following is considered an acceptable reason to deny a rental application?
- The applicant's race
- The applicant's poor credit history (Correct answer)
- The applicant's national origin
- The applicant's familial status
Correct answer: The applicant's poor credit history
Poor credit history is a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason to deny an application, while race, national origin, and familial status are protected classes.
Question 2: A tenant with a mobility disability requests a first-floor unit that is currently occupied. Under the Fair Housing Act, what must the property manager do?
- Immediately evict the current tenant to accommodate the request
- Place the applicant on a waitlist and offer the next available accessible unit (Correct answer)
- Deny the request because accessible units are not required in all buildings
- Charge the applicant a higher deposit for the accessible accommodation
Correct answer: Place the applicant on a waitlist and offer the next available accessible unit
The manager must place the applicant on a waitlist and offer the next available accessible unit as a reasonable accommodation.
Question 3: What does the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) require of HUD-assisted housing providers?
- To evict tenants who are victims of domestic violence
- To provide emergency relocation funds to all tenants
- To prohibit eviction of tenants who are victims of domestic violence related to the violence (Correct answer)
- To notify police whenever domestic violence is suspected
Correct answer: To prohibit eviction of tenants who are victims of domestic violence related to the violence
VAWA prohibits eviction or denial of housing based solely on a tenant's status as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Question 4: Which federal law establishes minimum habitability standards for federally assisted housing, including requirements for sanitation and structural integrity?
- The Uniform Relocation Act
- HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS) (Correct answer)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act
- The Community Reinvestment Act
Correct answer: HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS)
HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS) establish minimum habitability requirements for units receiving federal housing assistance.
Question 5: A property manager at a tax credit property must maintain income documentation for tenants. How long must these records typically be retained?
- 1 year after the compliance period ends
- 3 years after the compliance period ends
- 6 years after the compliance period ends (Correct answer)
- Permanently
Correct answer: 6 years after the compliance period ends
IRS regulations for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties require tenant income records to be kept for at least 6 years after the close of the compliance period.
Question 6: Under Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program rules, what happens if a tenant's income increases above the program's income limit after move-in?
- The tenant must immediately vacate the unit
- The tenant may remain housed but subsidy adjustments are made at the next annual recertification (Correct answer)
- The tenant loses the voucher immediately
- The landlord must return all subsidy payments received
Correct answer: The tenant may remain housed but subsidy adjustments are made at the next annual recertification
Tenants who exceed income limits after admission are typically allowed to remain and receive continued assistance with adjustments made at recertification.
Question 7: Which of the following is a key compliance requirement for LIHTC properties regarding student households?
- Full-time students are categorically ineligible for LIHTC units
- All student households must pay market-rate rent
- Full-time student households may qualify if they meet specific exceptions such as being single parents (Correct answer)
- Students must provide a co-signer regardless of income
Correct answer: Full-time student households may qualify if they meet specific exceptions such as being single parents
LIHTC rules restrict full-time student households but include exceptions for single parents, married filing jointly, former foster children, and vocational training participants.
COS Leasing Regulations & Compliance 2
Under the Fair Housing Act, which of the following is considered an acceptable reason to deny a rental application?