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Rent supplement for landlords

The Rent Supplement Program, administered by Housing Services, provides affordable housing to low-income families and individuals in Niagara.

Housing Services partners with private landlords to create rent supplement units. This means tenants receive reduced rent, called subsidized rent, in privately owned units. Tenants are selected from the Housing Services wait list.

On average, there are more than 700 rent supplement units under this program.

How it works

Tenants

  • Pay a rent that is based on their income
  • Sign a standard lease with the private landlord, establishing a typical landlord-tenant relationship

Housing Services

  • Pays the landlord the difference between the tenant’s rent and the market rate for the unit
  • Reviews the rents charged by landlords each year to ensure they fairly reflect market rents in the area

Landlords

  • Collect rent, maintain the building, and provide the same services and repairs provided to all other tenants in the building

Which units qualify

Housing Services selects units for the Rent Supplement Program based on:

  • Available funds
  • Need and local priorities
  • New construction targets
  • Market rent
  • Demand for accessible units

High priced units, or units that offer luxury accommodation and amenities, will not be considered.

How to apply

1
Complete the Rent Supplement Program application.
You will need to provide the type of building, number of units, age of building, unit size and monthly rent.
2
Housing Services reviews your application.
Units are selected based on the criteria.
3
A site visit is conducted and rents are negotiated before an application is approved.
4
Sign a Rent Supplement Agreement.
When the application is approved, the landlord enters into a Rent Supplement Agreement with Housing Services.