Updated 10/09/24

Below is a breakdown of how property owners can apply to the Provincetown Lease to Locals Program. Please read these instructions closely. It is important you take each of these steps to qualify for the grant program.

Provincetown Lease to Locals Program Details

1. Review the property owner requirements to participate in the Lease to Locals Program:
   1. The property must be located in the Provincetown town limits. 
   2. Full time tenants can not have occupied the property for greater than 12 months. If tenants have occupied the property for less than 12 months they must not currently be on a Long-Term Lease.
   3. The property must be a legally permitted dwelling unit and each bedroom in the property must have a door and window; the property must meet basic health and safety criteria as may be required per Massachusetts law and regulations.
   4. The property must have an active long-term rental certificate from the Town of Provincetown.
      1. If the property does not have an active long-term rental certificate, you can follow these steps to apply for one: https://provincetownma.portal.opengov.com/categories/1087/record-types/1006394 
2. Review the chart below that explains the grants that property owners are eligible for based on the unit size and number of qualified tenants. Note, grants are a one time deal and do not roll over year over year. One grant will be paid for each qualified tenant, with a maximum of three grant payments per Housing Unit. Property Owners are eligible for a maximum of three grants total across all the properties they own:                                                                                                                       
3. Qualified household and tenant criteria is as follows:
   1. One or more of the members of the household must be a qualified tenant. 
   2. A qualified tenant is over 18, not of blood relation to the property owner, has a gross annual income below $130,515 and meets one of the following criteria:
      1. Employed with an employer based on or serving customers on the Outer Cape (Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet). 
      2. Already a full-time resident of the Outer Cape and contributing to the Provincetown community by serving on a Town Board/Committee, volunteering with a local organization, participating in the Town’s art/cultural scene, or providing some similar benefit to the community.
      3. A dependent child of a qualified tenant.
      4. A person unable to work or who does not have a work history due to qualifying for disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
      5. A retired person who receives monthly Social Security benefits to a Provincetown address.
4.  Applications for the Lease to Locals program must be submitted within 45 days of the start of the lease.

Provincetown Lease to Locals Grant Processing Steps

1. List the property for rent and start screening tenants. While screening for tenants, be sure to adhere to the following program requirements and information:
   1. Property owners cannot rent their property for a rate higher than the rental caps (below), based on unit size:
   2. To post a property to our Listings Page, ask your Placemate representative for access to self listing where owners can message directly with renters in our database looking for housing. 
      1. Note, these renters have not pre-applied for the program. They will still need to be qualified based on the steps laid out in this intake packet.
      2. Additional listing site suggestions are at the bottom of this page.
2. As you look for tenant groups, be sure to verify that the group you select qualifies for the Lease to Locals program (qualified household information listed above). 
3. To verify the number of qualified tenants in the household, you should follow the same steps we go through. By reviewing the below documents yourself, you can verify your tenants qualify before passing them onto Placemate as directed in step 5. If a qualified tenant is sharing a room with another tenant(s), each tenant in the shared room is required to provide the following documentation. Required documents are outlined below:
   1. All qualified tenants over 18 years old must provide a copy of their government issued ID
   2. Required documents from each qualified tenant:
      1. Required documentation from local employees (any one of the following 3 options, as applicable):
         1. 1 pay stub issued within the last 60 days by an employer located on the Outer Cape, OR;
         2. A signed employer or offer letter that includes the following details:
            1. Employer name, logo, and address
            2. Name of employee
            3. Anticipated start date (if new offer) or when they started originally
            4. Number of hours (ie; full time, 40 hours week / seasonal, 20 hours week)
            5. Pay rate (hourly or salary)
            6. Location of where they are working
            7. Name, signature of manager / HR, and date signed; OR
         3. If self-employed, required documents include:
            1. If the business has been operational for more than 1 year 
               1. Most recent tax returns, OR; 
            2. If the business has been operating for less than one year, is off the books, or tenant is self employed via gig work
               1. Internal P&L, OR;
               2. Employer letter, OR;
               3. Recent Contracts that show volume of work/pay
      1. 1. Required documents from each tenant who contributes to the community in some way other than local employment:
            1. A signed letter from the local organization, board, committee, gallery, group etc.. that they are involved with that provides their weekly time commitment to the organization, responsibilities/details of involvement, and how long they have been involved, AND;
            2. Proof of income (1 paystub, employer letter)
         2. Required documents from each non-working disabled adult: 
            1. Copy of disability benefits, OR;
            2. Proof of supplemental income
         3. Required documents from a retired Provincetown resident: 
            1. A Social Security benefit verification letter sent to a local Provincetown address
         4. Required documents to show that a qualified adult tenant has a child/children:
            1. Most recent copy of tax returns showing each child as a dependent, OR;
            2. A copy of each child’s birth certificate.  
4. Once you have verified that the tenant group meets program qualifications, sign a lease with your selected tenants.
   1. If you have any questions about your tenants’ eligibility or documents, let us know and we can help with verification.
5. Next, email your Placemate contact your tenants’ contact information (name, email, phone), so we can send them a link to our online application to collect the documents described above. It helps if you let them know we’ll be reaching out. Placemate will need employment documents and an application from each qualified tenant in a household group.
6. Once your tenants have completed their Lease to Locals application, and we verify they qualify, we will send you the property owner application, which is a 2 step process:
   1. 1st, we’ll send you the Property Owner Lease Summary form, which gathers basic info about your property and lease, and requires that you upload a signed lease.
   2. 2nd, after we review these materials, we will send you the Property Owner Grant Application for you to review and complete as prompted – this includes:
      1. Property and lease detail attestation
      2. Preview of your expected incentive amount
      3. Check request form 
      4. W-9 
      1.  
7. After we receive your completed documents, and verify the tenants moved in, Placemate will submit your application to the Town of Provincetown. You can expect to receive the first half of your incentive payment mailed directly from the Town within 45 days of submission.
   1. Note, payments will be issued to the Property Owner, as their legal name(s) appears on the signed lease or property management agreement.
8. At the midpoint of the lease Placemate will check in with both the tenants and owner to ensure that the lease is being upheld.
9. At the end of the lease, Placemate will check in with both the tenants and owner and submit a request for the second half of the incentive payment.
10. If at any point during the lease, your tenant group changes or the tenants move out, the property owner must contact Placemate to let them know.

Please note, as the Lease to Locals program is focused on housing creation, each qualified property may participate in the Lease to Locals program one time. There are no additional incentives after year one. Property Owners are eligible for a maximum of three (3) grants total across all the properties they own.

##

If you still need to secure tenants, here is some language you can put in your property listing to let prospective renters know you are participating in the Lease to Locals Program. Note, property owners must comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Listing Language

The owner of this property is participating in the Provincetown Lease to Locals Program aimed at unlocking existing homes for local employee needs. As such, to be considered for this property, at least one of the tenants in your group must have a gross annual income below $130,515 and meet one of the following criteria:

1. Employed with an employer based on or serving customers on the Outer Cape (Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet). 
2. Already a full-time resident of the Outer Cape and contributing to the Provincetown community by serving on a Town Board/Committee, volunteering with a local organization, participating in the town’s art/cultural scene, or providing some similar benefit to the community.
3. A person unable to work or who does not have a work history due to qualifying for disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
4. A retired person who receives monthly Social Security benefits to a Provincetown address.

Lease Template

You can use any lease you wish so long as your terms meet the program requirements. Placemate can not legally prepare your lease for you. 

Zillow provides free robust lease agreements that you might consider using – you can find them at this link. Please note, you and your tenants will have to create a profile on Zillow to use one of their lease templates.

Sites to List Your Property On: 

The following are websites used by local workforce members looking for housing. These would be great places to list your property, and it should be remembered that these are suggestions and you may list your property wherever and however you wish. Each of these options require that you monitor their various communication channels.

Zillow 

The housing site with the largest reach. A possibility of numerous non-responsive tenant applicants.

Facebook Marketplace 

You must have a Facebook account to post here. Make a post and include your property details. Check and respond to comments and direct messages to ensure you see inquiries come in. 

You can join these Provincetown specific groups to post your property’s listing in and/or advertise that you are looking for renters. You must have a Facebook account to post here and must be a member of each of these groups before you can post in them.

PTown Community Space

Provincetown Community Space

Seeking Provincetown Housing/Rentals