Q&A: Conditions for a Live-in Aide

Question A female tenant requests a male live-in aide to reside in her one bedroom apartment. Is that allowed? ~ Leah – San Diego

Answer This is permitted, provided other important conditions are met. The gender of the live-in aide plays no role. The Handbook 4350.3, Change 4, Section 3-6 E (3) states:

1. The live-in aide must be subject to and meet the screening criteria for the property (expect for credit screening) and must provide their SSN.
2. The owner must run the EIV Existing Tenant Search.
3. The owner must verify that the live-in aide is essential to the care and well-being of the person in the unit and that they would not otherwise be in the unit except to provide supportive services. Verification must be obtained from the person’s physician, psychiatrist or other medical practitioner or health care provider.
4. The owner must also make it very clear that the live in aide only qualifies for occupancy only as long as the individual needing supportive services requires the aide’s services and remains a tenant. In other words, the live-in aide may not qualify for continued occupancy as a remaining family member. Owners are encouraged to use a HUD-approved lease addendum that denies occupancy of the unit to a live-in aide after the tenant, for whatever reason, is no longer living in the unit. (See paragraph 6-5.A.4.g for more information.) The lease addendum should also give the owner the right to evict a live-in aide who violates any of the house rules.