CityFHEPS Documents Checklist (2026): Tenant, Landlord & Forms

CityFHEPS paperwork happens in two stages. First, your caseworker proves you are eligible. Then, once you find an apartment, your landlord fills out their part. Your caseworker (a shelter housing specialist or a Homebase worker) puts it all together into one packet and sends it to DSS. You don't submit it yourself. If you are new to the program, start with how to apply for CityFHEPS, then come back to this list.

This checklist is based on HRA's own packet checklists: the CityFHEPS Packet Cover Sheet for shelter (DSS-8h) and the CityFHEPS Packet Checklist for Community Cases (DSS-8i), plus the Landlord Package for Apartment Rentals (DSS-8f). Missing papers can delay a move, so gather what you can early.

Quick list: the CityFHEPS documents most people need

• Proof of the last 30 days of income for everyone in the household age 18 or older
• Program Participant Agreement (DSS-7p), signed
• Tenant Contact Information (DSS-8b)
• Request for Emergency Assistance (W-137a)
• Your Shopping Letter and Household Share Letter
• Proof of your housing situation (a shelter residency letter, or proof of eligibility for community cases)
• A 12-month lease or rental agreement
• The landlord's papers: proof of ownership, W-9, proof of HPD registration, landlord information form, utility form, and the security voucher (W-147N)

The details for each are below.

Part 1: Documents about you

Proof of income. HRA's checklists ask for proof of the last 30 days of income for each adult. That can include pay stubs, benefit award letters, or other proof of income or resources. If you have no income, tell your caseworker so they can document it.

Your Cash Assistance case. If you are eligible for Cash Assistance, you must be receiving it, with no sanction on the case. Have your Cash Assistance case number ready. If there is a sanction, it has to be cleared at an HRA Benefits Access Center first.

Proof of your housing situation.

• In shelter: a Shelter Residency Letter (your shelter provides this).
• In the community: proof of eligibility, such as proof of veteran status, an Adult Protective Services letter, eviction papers, or verification of a past shelter stay.
• Staying in your current home: arrears documents, such as the court stipulation and the landlord's rent breakdown. Your provider may also need an arrears repayment agreement (W-147KK or W-147H) and, if the arrears are large, a commitment letter.

Identity documents. Your caseworker may ask for photo ID for adults and Social Security cards or birth certificates for household members. HRA's packet checklists don't list these separately, so ask your caseworker which ones they need for your case and bring them early.

Part 2: Household members

• Each adult (18+) needs proof of their last 30 days of income.
• The application lists every household member: name, date of birth, relationship to you, Cash Assistance status, and income. Make sure the number of people matches your Cash Assistance case. HRA tells providers these sometimes don't match, and that changes your rent amount.
• Adult household members sign the Program Participant Agreement (DSS-7p) along with you.

Part 3: Forms you'll sign and letters you'll get

Forms you sign

Form	What it's for
DSS-7p Program Participant Agreement	Your agreement with HRA. You promise to give accurate information on income, work hours and household members, to pay your share of the rent, to try to keep your housing, to accept other housing help you qualify for, and to get HRA approval before moving. You also agree to report a move, eviction papers, a change of landlord, or falling behind on rent by calling 718-557-1399.
DSS-8b Tenant Contact Information	Contact details for you, an emergency contact, your landlord, any broker, and your shelter or provider.
W-137a Request for Emergency Assistance	Listed as a required tenant form on HRA's checklists. Your caseworker will help you complete it.
DSS-8d Room Rental Allocation Form	Only if you are renting a room.

Your provider also fills out the application itself: DSS-7q (Apartment and SRO Application) or DSS-7o (Room Application). For community cases there is also DSS-8e (Provider Verification of Eligibility). If domestic violence is part of your situation, your provider may include an HRA-146p form.

Letters you get

• Household Share Letter: an estimate of what you will pay each month. HRA says this letter is for your use only; don't give it to landlords or brokers. Your final amount comes in your Approval Letter.
• Shopping Letter: shows your maximum rent by apartment size. It is valid for 120 days, and you can show it to landlords and brokers. See the shopping letter explained.

Part 4: The apartment and landlord side

After you and a landlord agree on an apartment, the landlord or broker completes the Landlord Package for Apartment Rentals (DSS-8f). Its document checklist includes:

• Deed or other proof of ownership
• The lease, signed and dated with the full unit address, including the apartment number
• Proof of registration with HPD
• An authorization form, only if a managing agent or authorized designee signs
• Form W-9 for the landlord, and for the payee if the payee is someone else (not needed again if already sent to DSS)
• A voided check, first page of a bank statement, or bank letter, only if the landlord is enrolling in direct deposit
• The Security Voucher (W-147N), which landlords must accept instead of a cash deposit

HRA's packet checklists also list:

• DSS-8q Landlord Utility Information (which utilities are included)
• Proof of pre-clearance and the DSS-10a Apartment Review Checklist for a new unit
• IRS TIN verification (community cases)
• If a broker is used: HRA-121 Broker's Request for Enhanced Fee Payment and the broker's license

Rooms and SROs use a different landlord package (DSS-8g). Before approval, DSS also does a rent reasonableness review, a pre-clearance check for building violations, and a walkthrough of the unit. Owners and brokers should read our CityFHEPS landlord package guide.

Printable CityFHEPS checklist

Copy this list, print it, and check items off as you go.

About me and my household

• Last 30 days of income for every adult (pay stubs, award letters, other proof)
• Cash Assistance case number (and no open sanction)
• Shelter Residency Letter, or proof of eligibility (veteran, APS, eviction, past shelter stay)
• Arrears papers, if I'm staying in my home (court stipulation, rent breakdown)
• ID documents my caseworker asked for

Forms I sign

• DSS-7p Program Participant Agreement (me and adult household members)
• DSS-8b Tenant Contact Information
• W-137a Request for Emergency Assistance
• DSS-8d Room Rental Allocation Form (rooms only)

Letters I have

• Shopping Letter (expires: ________)
• Household Share Letter (keep private)

From the landlord or broker

• 12-month lease, signed, with unit number
• DSS-8f (or DSS-8g for rooms/SROs) landlord form
• Deed or proof of ownership
• Proof of HPD registration
• W-9 (landlord and payee)
• DSS-8q utility information
• Bank details, if using direct deposit
• HRA-121 and broker license, if a broker is used

Handled by DSS / my caseworker

• Pre-clearance and DSS-10a Apartment Review Checklist
• Rent reasonableness review and walkthrough
• W-147N Security Voucher

What to do if you're missing a document

• Tell your caseworker right away. Don't wait until you've found an apartment. Ask what else they can accept or how to get a replacement.
• No pay stubs? Ask your employer for a signed letter showing your pay and hours, and ask your caseworker if it will work.
• No income at all? Say so. Your caseworker can document it; you still need to report all household income honestly.
• Lost ID or Social Security card? Start replacing it now. Replacements can take time, and your caseworker can tell you which documents they truly need.
• Cash Assistance sanction? Go to an HRA Benefits Access Center to clear it. CityFHEPS can't be issued until it is.
• The landlord is missing something (like HPD registration or a W-9)? These are required items, so the landlord has to provide them. Point them to HRA's landlord forms or our landlord package guide.
• Your Shopping Letter is about to expire? Ask your caseworker about your options before the date printed on it.
• Stuck? Call HRA's Rental Assistance Call Center at 718-557-1399 to ask where your case stands.

After you move in: renewal documents

CityFHEPS is renewed every year. HRA mails the renewal about five months before your subsidy year ends. You'll confirm you still live in the apartment and who lives with you, and send updated income information. Upload proof of any changes in income, rent, utilities, household size or child care costs. If your rent went up, send a new signed lease. The forms are the CityFHEPS Renewal Request (DSS-7e), and for changes between renewals, the CityFHEPS Modification Request (DSS-7s). You can submit through ACCESS HRA or by email to CityFHEPSRenewals@hra.nyc.gov. See CityFHEPS renewal.

Where to download CityFHEPS forms

All current forms are on HRA's CityFHEPS Documents page at nyc.gov, many in several languages. Always use the newest version. Your caseworker usually has them too.

Get help, and avoid scams

Your caseworker, Homebase, or a voucher-friendly broker can check your packet before it goes in. Applying is free. HRA pays brokers directly. Never pay anyone to "process" your CityFHEPS paperwork. If someone asks, report it to 311.

If a landlord or broker refuses your voucher, most landlords in NYC cannot legally do that. There are limited exemptions, such as an owner-occupied two-family home (not publicly advertised) or a room in the owner's own home. Call the NYC Commission on Human Rights at 212-416-0197.

Related guides

• How to Apply for CityFHEPS in NYC (2026): Eligibility, Steps, Payment Standards
• What Is CityFHEPS? Eligibility, Payment Standards & How It Works
• CityFHEPS Eligibility & Income Limits
• CityFHEPS Voucher Amounts 2026: Maximum Rent by Bedroom
• CityFHEPS Landlord Package
• CityFHEPS Renewal
• The CityFHEPS Shopping Letter Explained
• CityFHEPS Phone Number, Email & Contacts (2026)
• Apartment search: Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and voucher housing in New York City

Sources: HRA CityFHEPS Documents page; DSS-8h (01/15/2025), DSS-8i (01/15/2025), DSS-8f (04/01/2026), DSS-8j (01/28/2026), DSS-7p (06/10/2025), DSS-8b, DSS-7x, DSS-7q, DSS-7r (01/23/2026), DSS-7z (09/16/2026). Checked November 2026.