SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ‑ The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages all residents of Puerto Rico who have been impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria to keep documentation and receipts as they move into rental properties. It is important to know what the money received from FEMA is intended to cover. Rental assistance is intended to pay the cost of lodging while a disaster-damaged home is uninhabitable. It is important to keep critical documents.
1) Have a valid lease agreement:
The lease must be in writing and is considered acceptable whether it is handwritten, typed or printed.
A valid lease agreement for housing specifically outlines the terms of the contract, which typically includes:
- Amount of rent and date payment is due
- Name of the primary occupant (commonly called the “lessee”) and names of any other tenants
- The address of the rental unit and the landlord’s name and contact information
- The duration of the lease, which can be month-to-month
- Utilities, other fees, deposits or costs for which the Lessee may be held liable
- Any unique terms or arrangements discussed and agreed upon during the lease negotiations, such as pets, lawn care or other maintenance
2) Keep every receipt for rental payment made:
Rent receipts must be in writing and are acceptable whether handwritten, typed or printed. A valid rent receipt for housing typically includes pertinent information about the payment.
Examples include:
- The address of the rental property
- The date the payment was made
- The payment amount
- The time period in which the payment is intended to cover, one month for example
To apply for assistance, register online at: DisasterAssistance.gov; call 1-800-621-3362; visit a Disaster Recovery Center; or download the mobile FEMA app.
Visit DisasterAssistance.gov to apply for assistance online. If you do not have access to the internet, you may call toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service). TDD call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Multilingual operators are available. (Press 2 for Spanish). You can also check your application status at DisasterAssistance.gov.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service). TDD call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available. (Press 2 for Spanish).
The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters, which can cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
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