I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2653
To ensure that dwelling units assisted under the rental housing voucher 
program under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
comply with housing quality standards. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2005
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To ensure that dwelling units assisted under the rental hous-
ing voucher program under section 8 of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 comply with housing quality 
standards.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Landlord Account-
ability Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ENFORCEMENT OF HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (8) of section 8(o) of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(8)) is amended—
(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
‘‘PHA’S’’ and inserting ‘‘PHAS AND HOUSING QUAL-
ITY STANDARDS’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(F) ENFORCEMENT OF HOUSING QUALITY 
STANDARDS.—
‘‘(i) DETERMINATION OF NONCOMPLI-
ANCE.—A dwelling unit that is covered by 
a housing assistance payments contract 
under this subsection shall be considered, 
for purposes of this subparagraph, to be in 
noncompliance with the housing quality 
standards under subparagraph (B) if—
‘‘(I) the public housing agency or 
an inspector authorized by the State 
or unit of local government deter-
mines upon inspection of the unit that 
the unit fails to comply with such 
standards;
‘‘(II) the agency or inspector no-
tifies the owner of the unit in writing 
of such failure to comply; and 
‘‘(III) the failure to comply is not 
corrected within 90 days after receipt 
of such notice. 
‘‘(ii) WITHHOLDING AND RELEASE OF 
ASSISTANCE AMOUNTS.—The public hous-
ing agency shall withhold all of the assist-
ance amounts under this subsection with 
respect to a dwelling unit that is in non-
compliance with housing quality standards 
under subparagraph (B). Subject to clause 
(iii), the agency shall promptly release any 
withheld amounts to the owner of the 
dwelling unit upon completion of repairs 
that remedy such noncompliance. 
‘‘(iii) USE OF WITHHELD ASSISTANCE 
TO PAY FOR REPAIRS.—The public housing 
agency may use such amounts withheld to 
make repairs to the dwelling unit or to 
contract to have repairs made (or to con-
tract with an inspector referred to in 
clause (i)(I) to make or contract for such 
repairs), and shall subtract the cost of
such repairs from any amounts released to 
the owner of the unit upon remedying such 
noncompliance. 
‘‘(iv) PROTECTION OF TENANTS.—An 
owner of a dwelling unit may not terminate 
the tenancy of any tenant or refuse to 
renew a lease for such unit because of the 
withholding of assistance pursuant to this 
subparagraph. 
‘‘(v) TERMINATION OF LEASE OR AS-
SISTANCE
PAYMENTS
CONTRACT.—If as-
sistance amounts under this section for a 
dwelling unit are withheld pursuant to 
clause (ii) and the owner does not correct 
the noncompliance before the expiration of 
the lease for the dwelling unit and such 
lease is not renewed, the Secretary shall 
recapture any such amounts from the pub-
lic housing agency. 
‘‘(vi) APPLICABILITY.—This subpara-
graph shall apply to any dwelling unit for 
which a housing assistance payments con-
tract is entered into or renewed after the 
date of the effectiveness of the regulations 
implementing this subparagraph.’’.
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall issue any regulations necessary 
to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a) not 
later than the expiration of the 12-month period beginning 
upon the date of the enactment of this Act. Such regula-
tions shall take effect not later than the expiration of the 
90-day period beginning upon such issuance.
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