Rent/Lease Automatic Payments
If you have any questions regarding these payments, please contact your Financial Counselor .
Automatic Payments
The House will make automatic payments for both District Office rents and Long-Term Automobile Leases if a lease/contract meeting House regulations is on
file in the Finance Office.
District Office Leases
The Basics
- The lease may not extend beyond the current term of the Member.
- Office space may be rented in commercial buildings, federal buildings, and city, county or state owned properties. Members may also have mobile District
Offices.
- District office space must be located in the Member's district, with one exception. If there are no federal buildings in the Member's district, the district office
may be located in a federal building in a district adjacent to the Member's district.
- There is no limit on the number of District Offices a Member may have, or on the size of the space rented.
- There is no limit on the rent a Member can pay. Commercial rents should, however, be comparable to those paid for similar space in the District and such
space must be leased as a result of a bona fide "arms length" marketplace transaction.
- Members can accept free space, located in their district, when such space is provided by a federal, state, or local government agency. They may not accept
free space in commercial properties.
- Members may share space except with another Member. The lease must clearly indicate how the costs of the space are split.
- Any charge for parking spaces must be included as part of the lease payment.
- The Member (and staff) has liability coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act. If the landlord demands additional liability coverage, it must be vouchered
separately from the rent. Fire and theft insurance are not eligible expenditures under the Members' Representational Allowance.
- The House will not pay for security deposits.
- The House pays at the end of the month for the previous month's occupancy.
Processing
Commercial Leases
- A commercial lease signed by both the Member (lessee) and the landlord (lessor) must be submitted to the Office of Administrative Counsel. 612 O'Neill
House Office Building for approval and forwarding to the Office of Finance. The lease must be accompanied by a signed copy of the District Office Lease
Attachment, a form available from the Office of Finance or by calling 202/225-7474.
- A standard House lease form is available from the Office of Finance, but the Member is also free to use a lease form presented by the landlord. Download
to District Office Lease Agreement.
- Before submitting the lease, check it carefully to make sure that it has:
- The start date;
- The end date;
- The amount due every month; and
- The name and address where the payments should be sent.
- If a Member would like a lease reviewed before he/she signs it, please forward the unsigned lease to Administrative Counsel, 612 O'Neill House Office
Building, for review. If you have any questions, call the Office of the Administrative Counsel at 225-4899.
GSA Leases
- Members interested in leasing space in a federal building owned or managed by the General Services Administration should contact their regional GSA
representative for advice on availability and processing. Download to GSA List of Contacts, page1, page2.
- Unlike commercial leases, leases for space in federal buildings owned or managed by GSA are not approved by the Administrative Counsel or the Office of
Finance. GSA bills the House quarterly for space occupied by Members, and those rents are paid automatically by the Office of Finance and deducted from
the MRA.
Leases for City, County or State Owned Space
- Processing for these leases is the same as for commercial space if the Member will be paying rent for the space. Either the standard House lease form or the
landlord's preferred lease form may be used, and a signed District Office Lease Attachment must accompany the lease when it is forwarded to the Office of
Finance.
- If the space is free, no formal lease is necessary. The Member should, however, provide the Office of Finance with notification of the arrangement to support
subsequent vouchers submitted in connection with office expenses.
Mobile Offices
- Mobile District Offices are normally leased from automobile dealers, and the lease form supplied by the dealer should be used. The signed lease should be
forwarded to the Office of Finance, 263 Cannon House Office Building, along with a Long-Term Vehicle Lease Agreement, also signed by both the
Member (lessee) and the dealer (lessor).
- Other than the form of the lease, mobile District Offices are subject to the same regulations as offices in commercially-leased space. No advance payments,
including security deposits, can be reimbursed from the MRA, and the lease cannot extend beyond the current term of the Member.
Long-term Vehicle Leases
The Basics
- Members may lease automobiles on a long-term basis to support official and representational duties in the home District.
- There is no standard lease form for automobiles. Members should use the lease form supplied by the dealer.
- There is no limit on the monthly rent that can be paid for the vehicle.
- There are no restrictions on the type of vehicle that can be leased.
- Members can choose the lease term that is to their best cost advantage. If the term chosen runs beyond the current term of the Member, the Member must
write a letter acknowledging his/her responsibility for the lease if he/she does not return to the House.
- Advance payments, including security deposits, are not reimbursable from the MRA.
Processing
- The lease, and a copy of the Long-Term Vehicle Lease Attachment must be signed by the Member (lessee) and the dealer (lessor). Both should be
forwarded to the Administrative Counsel, 612 O'Neill House Office Building for approval and forwarding to the Office of Finance.
- If a Member would like to have a lease reviewed before signature, please forward the unsigned lease to the Administrative Counsel, 612 O'Neill House
Office Building. If you have questions, please call the Office of the Administrative Counsel at 225-4899.