Adoption gives property owners earlier insight into rent requests before submission, helping reduce delays and fill vacancies faster 

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is adopting AffordableHousing.com’s RentWatch Quick Certify to help property owners better prepare rent requests before submitting a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA), helping reduce delays and fill vacancies faster. 

As DCHA updated its rent reasonableness review process, AffordableHousing.com worked with the housing authority to improve transparency and help streamline leasing. During the transition, property owners expressed frustration with understanding how rent reasonableness determinations were made and how rental property valuations were established.

Designed to help housing agencies nationwide, RentWatch Quick Certify allows property owners to analyze a property using the same RentWatch system used by their housing agency before submitting an RFTA. 

In a market where demand for affordable housing far outpaces supply, RentWatch Quick Certify benefits everyone involved in the leasing process. Property owners can reduce delays and set rents with greater confidence, housing agencies can reduce administrative burden and serve their communities more efficiently, and qualified families can move into housing sooner. 

Using the same RentWatch market analysis used by DCHA, Quick Certify shows property owners how a proposed rent will be evaluated before it enters the formal review process. Property owners can adjust the requested rent when appropriate and provide supporting documentation—including property photos, documentation of unit features or improvements, and additional comparable units they own or manage—to help explain the requested rent. When a requested rent is close to the estimated market value, Quick Certify can help identify adjustments that may reduce delays in the leasing process. 

The resulting Quick Certify report gives housing agency staff the information they need in one place, helping reduce follow-up requests, speed reviews, and support more consistent rent reasonableness determinations.

Transparency with property owner partners is essential to an effective Housing Choice Voucher program, particularly in the District of Columbia’s unique housing market. As DCHA updated its rent reasonableness process, the housing authority worked with AffordableHousing.com to create an approach that better reflects the needs of the District. RentWatch Quick Certify gives property owners clearer information earlier in the process, helping DCHA review requests more efficiently and move voucher holders into housing sooner. 

By giving both property owners and housing agencies better information before an RFTA is submitted, RentWatch Quick Certify helps create a more predictable leasing process—reducing delays, improving communication, and helping more families move into housing sooner.

“One of the biggest opportunities to improve the leasing process is through earlier access to accurate information,” said Michael Lazdowsky, Managing Director of AffordableHousing.com. “When property owners know what to expect before submitting an RFTA, they can make adjustments upfront instead of weeks later. Housing agencies receive better information from the start, reviews move more efficiently, and everyone spends less time going back and forth.” 

Earlier this summer, Lazdowsky met with DCHA staff, property owners, and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C., to discuss the updated rent reasonableness process and how RentWatch Quick Certify supports it. The sessions provided an opportunity to answer questions and demonstrate how the process works. 

Lazdowsky will also present RentWatch Quick Certify at the upcoming Delaware Landlord Forum hosted by Delaware’s five Housing Agencies. His presentation will cover recent Housing Choice Voucher program updates, the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) process, Market Rent Reports, and how Quick Certify helps improve transparency and efficiency for both property owners and housing agencies. 

About AffordableHousing.com 

More than 1,000 Housing Agencies nationwide rely on AffordableHousing.com to simplify the affordable housing process for renters, property owners, and housing agencies. Through technology, data, and human support, AffordableHousing.com helps improve leasing workflows, increase transparency, and expand access to affordable housing across the country. 

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SOURCE AffordableHousing.com