What steps must a landlord follow to terminate a voucher-assisted tenancy in 2025 (notice requirements, cause)?

1. Big claim roundup: who says what and why it matters

The materials reviewed advance three competing claims: one legal firm states landlords must give 90 days’ written notice, state a good cause, serve the local housing authority, and include VAWA disclosures ^[4]. A Federal Register notice published in December 2024 is cited for a 30‑day pre‑filing notice for nonpayment but the same rule is limited in scope and does not automatically cover all voucher types ^{[1] [2]}. Program guidance and eCFR/explanatory sources emphasize that 24 CFR and PHA procedures set termination causes, notice content, and appeal/hearing rights for voucher participants and list specific causes such as criminal activity, serious lease breaches, or material misrepresentations ^{[3] [5]}. These competing claims matter because they determine whether a landlord may legally proceed to eviction or must first participate in PHA processes.

2. The HUD December 2024 rule that shook the headlines—and its limits

The December 23, 2024 HUD final rule establishing a 30‑day written notice prior to filing an eviction action applies to Public Housing and Project‑Based Rental Assistance programs, but it expressly excludes Housing Choice Vouchers and Project‑Based Vouchers in many local applications, meaning landlords of HCV tenants cannot rely on that rule as a universal authority for notice timing ^[2]. Legal advisories that treat the 30‑day requirement as broadly applicable risk misinterpretation; HUD’s targeted rule created protections for some assisted tenants but left HCV termination processes to existing lease terms, state eviction statutes, and PHA termination procedures under 24 CFR ^{[1] [3]}. The exclusion is a central factual divider that changes what a landlord must do depending on the subsidy type.

3. Federal program rules: causes, hearings, and required PHA involvement

Under HUD program rules reflected in 24 CFR and PHA practices, termination of assistance or tenancy for voucher holders must be based on enumerated causes—including serious or repeated lease violations, certain criminal activity, fraud or material misrepresentation, refusal to permit inspections, or failure to report required information—and must trigger procedural protections such as written notices, the right to an informal hearing, and PHA review of mitigating circumstances ^{[3] [5]}. The PHA typically issues the formal termination of assistance notice and informs the family of the right to request a hearing within a short statutory window, and landlords are expected to provide documentation to the PHA if seeking termination of assistance in addition to any eviction filing ^[3]. These administrative protections exist even when state eviction law governs the court process.

4. State and local law matters more than you might expect

Multiple analyses emphasize that state and local landlord‑tenant law often prescribes shorter or longer notice periods—for example, some jurisdictions still allow a three‑day pay or quit for nonpayment, while others have expanded notice requirements or moratoria that affect timing—so landlords must reconcile lease language, state eviction statutes, and any applicable PHA rules before serving notices or filing in court ^{[6] [7]}. Localities with additional tenant protections, like certain cities that limit eviction for criminal allegations or mandate extended cure periods, will alter the practical steps to terminate tenancy even when HUD program rules are implicated ^[5]. The practical takeaway is do not rely solely on a single federal memo or an off‑the‑shelf notice; check state law and PHA guidance contemporaneously.

5. Practical step‑by‑step that emerges from the record

Across sources the conservative checklist for a landlord in 2025 is consistent: determine the tenant’s subsidy type (HCV vs. PBRA/PBV), review the lease and applicable state/local eviction statutes, serve a written notice that satisfies both the lease and local law (content: reason, date of termination, and any cure period), simultaneously notify the PHA when required, provide statutorily mandated disclosures such as VAWA notices where applicable, and be prepared to participate in a PHA informal hearing before termination of assistance is finalized ^{[4] [3] [7]}. Failure to follow program notice/PAH procedures or state notice requirements can invalidate termination efforts and delay eviction.

6. Where sources diverge and how to resolve the conflict

Disagreement centers on whether a 30‑day or 90‑day universal notice applies to voucher tenancies; the reconciliation is that the 30‑day HUD rule covers specific HUD programs and cannot be treated as a blanket HCV rule, while boutique legal advisories recommending 90 days may reflect state or jurisdictional norms but do not reflect a nationwide federal mandate ^{[1] [2] [4]}. The authoritative resolution is to prioritize: ^[8] program type and 24 CFR/PHA rules, ^[9] controlling state and local eviction statutes and case law, and ^[10] lease terms and required federal disclosures—consult the PHA and updated HUD and state guidance before acting to avoid procedural invalidation ^{[3] [4]}.