For Renters

Summary

The Durham Rent Relief Program provides up to 18 months of rental and utility assistance to City of Durham residents who have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis until funding runs out. Renters who received assistance from the Durham Emergency Rental Assistance Program can also receive assistance from this program, though they cannot receive more than a combined total of 18 months of assistance from both programs.

Background

The Durham Rent Relief Program is funded by the City of Durham and administered by Legal Aid of North Carolina. The goal of the program is to help contain the spread of COVID-19 by keeping Durham residents in their homes, off the streets, and out of shelters and other crowded living arrangements. The program uses federal funds provided by the American Rescue Plan, a federal law passed in March 2021. The Durham Rent Relief Program is separate from the Durham Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which was administered by Durham County in 2021. That program used funds from a different federal law, which passed in 2020.

RENTAL ASSISTANCE

Length of assistance

• Renters can receive a maximum of 18 months of assistance.
• If a renter received assistance through Durham County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program in 2021, that assistance counts towards the 18-month limit. For example, if a renter received three months of assistance through the county program, the renter can only receive 15 months of assistance through this program.
• The program can only cover past-due rent from March 13, 2020, or later.
• The program can only cover three months of future rent.

Use of funds

The program can cover the rent listed on the lease, including any fees or utilities included in the rent. The funds cannot be used to pay for tenant damages or utilities outside of those included in the rent.

The program can only cover past-due rent from March 13, 2020, or later, up to the 18-month limit. This can include:

• Past-due rent and eligible utilities
• Reasonable late rent fees (up to 5% of rent)
• Reasonable late utility fees
• The cost of rent bond when necessary to keep the renter housed while they are appealing a judgment of eviction.

Maximum rent

If the rent on the lease is more than 150% of the fair market rent for a unit with its number of bedrooms (see list below), the amount of assistance will be capped at the 150% limit.

150% of fair market rent

• Studio = $1,458
• 1 bedroom = $1,461
• 2 bedroom = $1,701
• 3 bedroom = $2,240
• 4 bedroom = $2,573
• 5 bedroom = $2,958
• 6 bedroom = $3,344 

Public housing and vouchers

The program will cover the renter’s portion of rent and reasonable late fees for households:

• Living in public housing
• Living in a unit with project-based rental assistance
• Renting with a portable housing voucher (Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher, VASH voucher, or other publicly-funded voucher for rental assistance)

Hotels and motels

The program will cover hotel and motel costs for applicants who can verify that they have lived in the hotel or motel for at least 60 days.

Security deposits

The program will cover security deposits if impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic forced the renter to move. For example: A renter lost income during the pandemic, so they had to move to a more affordable home.

UTILITY ASSISTANCE

Essential Utilities

The program will cover utilities included with rent and the following essential utilities, and reasonable late fees if they are billed separately from rent.

• Electricity
• Gas
• Fuel oil
• Water
• Sewer
• Trash removal

Internet

The program will cover internet, including past-due internet expenses from March 13, 2020, or later.

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

The program will not cover the following fees:

• Legal fees
• Court filing fees
• Eviction fees (Examples: Complaint fees, fee to have a sheriff execute a writ)
• Insurance violation fees (Fees for not complying with a lease’s insurance requirement)
• Fees from violating a lease, property rules, or other requirements
• Maintenance charges, including charges for lost keys or garage door openers, etc.
• Posting fees
• Late fees of more than 5%, including non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees charged by the landlord or complex
• Other fees that are deemed unreasonable or not in line with common industry practice
• Any fees not included in the lease

Identification

Valid government identification, which includes driver’s licenses, state ID cards, Social Security cards, passports, or other forms of government identification. Expired IDs can be used.

Financial hardship

Renters must complete and electronically sign a form stating that they have experienced financial hardship resulting directly or indirectly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Housing instability

Renters must complete and electronically sign a form documenting housing instability, which can include a risk of homelessness.

Income

Income can be documented by one of the following methods:

Geographic location

Residents of certain zip codes in the City of Durham are eligible for program assistance based on the median income of the zip code where they live. Eligible zip codes include:

• 27517
• 27701
• 27703
• 27704
• 27705
• 27707
• 27712
• 27713

Means-tested program eligibility

The renter can upload an award letter from 2021 stating that the renter or a member of their household was eligible for a means-tested program. Eligible means-tested programs include:

• Head Start Early Childhood Education Program
• Low-Income Energy Assistance Program
• Medicaid
• NC Work First/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Public housing or Section 8 voucher
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) 
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Income documentation

The renter can submit documentation of household income, which can include a 2020 federal tax form, pay stubs for the past 30 days, self-employment ledger, Social Security check, a letter from their employer documenting their pay and frequency of paychecks, or an unemployment compensation letter.

Self-attestation

As a last resort only, if the renter cannot document their income by one of the above methods, the renter can document their income solely through self-attestation, meaning they must complete and electronically sign a form stating their household income.

Residence

Renters must prove that they live at the address they are requesting assistance for. They can do this by one of the following methods.

• Provide a lease signed by the renter and landlord that identifies the rental unit and the rent owed by the renter.
• Provide utility bills in the renter’s name for service at the rental unit.
• If the current lease does not name the applicant as a renter or authorized occupant, the applicant will need to provide proof from their landlord that they live in the rental unit.

Monthly rent

Renters must prove their monthly rent by providing one of the following:

• A current lease that lists the amount of monthly rent
• Bank statements or check stubs that show a pattern of paying rent
• A written statement by the renter’s landlord, which can include a complaint for eviction that includes the rate of rent

Past-due rent

Renters must prove the amount of their past-due rent by providing written documentation from their landlord or by providing legal papers/eviction papers given to you by the sheriff, known as an eviction complaint. Eviction complaints contain the amount of past-due rent owed.

Landlord documentation

Landlords must complete the landlord application and upload a W-9 Request for Taxpayer Number and Certification.

Utilities

A renter must prove that they are responsible for paying utilities by providing one of the following:

• A utility bill in their name or the name of one of their household members for service at the address of the rental unit
• If the utility bill is not in the name of the renter or one of their household members, then the person named on the bill must provide a statement explaining that the renter or a member of their household is responsible for paying the bill.

Eviction complaint

If the sheriff has given you legal papers/eviction papers, known as an eviction complaint, please be prepared to provide a copy of them with your application.

Apply online

Click here to apply online (for renters and landlords). The application will open in a new window. 

Get help applying

Applicants who need help applying can:

• Call 919-521-5777
• Visit a rent relief navigator for in-person help. Navigators are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Courtroom M4 on the 3rd floor of the Durham County Courthouse, located at 510 South Dillard Street in downtown Durham.

Timeline

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and will be accepted until funding runs out. Once an application is submitted, it will be assigned to a rent relief specialist for review. If the application is incomplete, the specialist will attempt to contact the applicant by email, phone and text. The applicant will have 10 days to provide the missing information. Once the application is complete, the rent relief specialist will approve or deny the application. If approved, payments by electronic funds transfer will be made within 72 hours and payments by check will be made within 5-10 business days.

Appeals

Renters who are found ineligible to receive assistance have five calendar days to submit an appeal. The five-day period begins when the renter receives an email that tells them they are ineligible to receive assistance. 

General

• Emergency Rental Assistance Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): In these FAQs, “ERA1” refers to the first Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which ended in 2021. “ERA2” refers to the current Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which includes the Durham Rent Relief Program. References to “ERA” (without a 1 or 2) refer to both programs.
• NC 2-1-1: Find other services and resources in North Carolina.
• Find rental assistance: Find rental assistance program in other cities, counties and states.

Homeowners

• NC Homeowner Assistance Fund:  Established through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the NC Homeowner Assistance Fund was created for homeowners in North Carolina to help prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements and foreclosures due to COVID-19.

Legal help

• Legal Aid of North Carolina: Free legal help in civil cases for residents of all 100 counties in North Carolina.
• Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy: Free legal help in civil cases for residents of the greater Charlotte area.
• Pisgah Legal Services: Free legal help in civil cases for residents of Buncombe County and the surrounding area.
• LawHelpNC: Free self-help and educational materials on a wide variety of legal topics.
• Lawyer Referral Service: Low-cost legal consultations with private attorneys. A program of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Taxes

•  IRS: Emergency Rental Assistance Frequently Asked Questions