Pinellas County

Pinellas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Are you having trouble making your rent payments?

The Pinellas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides financial assistance to those who need it.

If any of the following apply to you, you may be eligible:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve experienced a decrease in income or an increase in expenses.
You’re behind on your rent payments or you’re on the verge of missing a payment.
You have a household income that is equal to or less than 80% of the area median earnings (AMI). The income limits for households are listed in the table below.
Pinellas County’s 2021 income limits (which take effect on April 1, 2021) are as follows:

*The Area Median Income (AMI) for households in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area is $72,700. *

Frequently Asked Questions for Tenants Regarding the Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Eligibility

1. The Pinellas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program is open to anyone who meets the eligibility requirements.
2. Is it necessary for the pandemic to have a negative financial impact on me?
Are there any restrictions on my ability to apply if I have previously received rent or utility assistance from OUR Florida (State of Florida Emergency Rental Assistance Program)?
4. Am I eligible to apply if I lost my job due to the pandemic for a few months but was able to regain employment and am still trying to catch up with my previous work obligations?
5. Can seasonal residents receive rental assistance?
6. Can I qualify if I only have a verbal or informal lease agreement in place?

Coverage

7. How much financial assistance can I expect to receive for my rental? Will it make up for any missed payments?
8. Will the rental assistance program cover late fees incurred as a result of unpaid rent?
9. Is it possible to get my utilities paid?
10. Is it possible to get assistance with my mortgage?
11. Will this cover the costs of a hotel stay if I am currently staying in one?

Process of submitting an application

12. How do I submit my application?
13. What kinds of documents will tenants be required to provide?
After I’ve submitted my documents, what happens next?
15. How long will it take for my application to be reviewed and approved?
16. How will I be reimbursed for my rent?
17. How are applications ranked in terms of importance?
18. Are federal stimulus payments included in one’s taxable gross income?
19. How can I find out what the current status of my application is?
20. What should I do if I don’t have access to the internet at my place of residence?
21. I have not received a response from my landlord regarding my participation in this program. What am I supposed to do?
22. What happens if my case is rejected?
23. How is the security of my information maintained?
24, What other options are available to me if I have already received an eviction notice and/or a court summons?

Taxes

25. My landlord provided me with emergency rental assistance to cover the cost of my rent and utilities. Those contributions are deductible from my taxable gross income when I file my taxes.
Information on the Program in General
26. What is the purpose of the Pinellas County Rental Assistance Program for Emergency Rental Assistance?
27. What is the source of funding for the Pinellas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program?
28. How can I find out about new program developments?
Questions that have not been answered
29. What should I do if I have further questions about the program?
30. Can you tell me where I can get help with my application?

Landlords can get emergency rental assistance if they need it.

Are your tenants behind on rent?
Rental assistance is available in the event of an emergency.
Apply now and invite your tenants to take part in the program. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, households in Pinellas County have been unable to pay their rent. The Pinellas County Emergency Rental Assistance Program provides assistance to these households. The rent payments will be made directly to the landlords or property managers of the eligible households.

Your tenants may be eligible if they meet the following criteria:

• experienced significant income loss or incurred significant additional expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (which has been ongoing since March 13, 2020);

• You have fallen behind on your rent payments or are in danger of missing a rent payment, and

• have a household income equal to or less than 80% of the area median income (AMI). The income limits for households are listed in the table below.

The application process can be initiated by either the tenant or the landlord, and it necessitates the participation of both parties.

Pinellas County’s 2021 income limits (which take effect on April 1, 2021) are as follows:

*The Area Median Income (AMI) for households in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area is $72,700. *

Application for a Landlord

A brief Landlord Application must be completed and submitted through the secure online application portal in order for the landlord or property manager to be reimbursed for rent payments. Following the submission of the Landlord Application, an email invitation to participate in the rental assistance program will be sent to all of the tenants listed on the application. Through the application portal, landlords can also keep track of the status of their tenants’ rental applications.

Frequently Asked Questions are listed below.

1. What is the purpose of my participation in the application process as a landlord?

The application for Emergency Rental Assistance is a two-part process that includes both a tenant application and a landlord application. The landlord application must be completed online through a secure application portal in order for you (the landlord) to receive your rent payments. The entire process should not take more than 30 minutes of your time.

Using a landlord application, you can keep the information you provide confidential and separate from the information you provide to a tenant application portal. With this information, you can ensure that payments are made to the correct individual or organization.

Owners of rental properties must complete a brief landlord application and submit the following documentation:

A valid W-9 for payment purposes A lease agreement and rent ledger for each tenant with whom you wish to participate in the ERA program A valid W-9 for payment
Using the landlord application portal, landlords can upload documentation for their tenants directly to the tenant’s file. If you have more than ten tenants, you can upload tenant information in bulk if you have more than ten tenants.

2. Can landlords and property managers submit an application on a tenant’s behalf? What can a landlord do to assist a tenant with the application process?

However, while landlords are unable to submit applications on their tenants’ behalf, the Emergency Rental Assistance application is a two-part process that includes both a tenant application and a landlord application portion. Prior to receiving rent payments, the landlord or property manager must complete the brief landlord application, which should take no more than 30 minutes to complete and is only required once.

A feature of the application portal that landlords and property managers can take advantage of is the ability to invite tenants to apply (via email address). Providing the necessary documents, such as W-9s and lease agreements, through the secure landlord application portal can help landlords and property managers get the job done more quickly.

Landlords may also wish to assist their tenants by providing them with computer resources or by scanning the documents that will be required for the online application.

3. How will I be able to track down the progress of my tenants’ applications?

Yes, once tenants have registered and applied through the Landlord portal, landlords will be able to check the status of their applications and payments on their behalf. The Landlord Application portal will also provide landlords with the ability to invite tenants (via email address) from within the system.

Following the submission of the Landlord Application, an email invitation to participate in the ERA program will be sent to all of the tenants listed on the application. If you have more than ten tenants, you can upload all of their information at once using the bulk upload feature.

4. My tenant was impacted by the pandemic last year and owes back rent, but he has moved out of the apartment. Is it necessary for my tenant to be currently residing at my property in order to qualify for rental assistance?

Yes. A current rental agreement, signed by the applicant and the landlord or sublessor, that identifies the unit in which the applicant currently resides and establishes the amount of the rental payment is required as part of the rental assistance application if one is currently available.

5. Will I be liable for paying taxes on the rental assistance payments I receive on my tenant’s behalf as a landlord?

Yes, emergency rental assistance payments, whether made by the tenant or by the Emergency Rental Assistance Program on your tenant’s behalf, are includible in the landlord’s gross income, regardless of how they were received.

6. What should I do if I have any additional questions regarding the program?

If your question is not answered here, you can call the program helpline at 855-379-3515 or email erap.pinellascounty.fl@tetratech.com. Helpline hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. You can also read more about the program’s policies and procedures here.