Which of the following is the responsibility of the owner?

The responsibility of the owner in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is primarily focused on the management and maintenance of their rental properties and ensuring they meet various standards. Among the listed options, the owner is indeed tasked with maintaining rental property standards. This involves ensuring that the property is safe, habitable, and compliant with housing quality standards (HQS) set by the public housing authority.

While owners can certainly consider tenant behavior and suitability as part of their decision-making process—this is often referred to as screening—there are guidelines and restrictions in place, especially in the context of housing vouchers, that limit how this screening can impact tenancy.

Moreover, the determination of a family’s income eligibility is specifically a function of the housing authority, which assesses the family’s qualifications for the program based on their income and other factors. Owners do not have the authority to make these determinations. Additionally, conducting annual inspections is a responsibility typically allocated to the housing authority rather than the owner, who must only ensure their property remains compliant throughout the lease period.

Thus, the focus on maintaining rental property standards aligns directly with the owner's primary obligations in the HCV framework.