Fort Sill MWR

22 | FORT SILL Welcome PACKET HOUSING termination and a copy of official military orders or a notification, certification, or verification from the Ser vicemember's commanding officer with respect to the Servicemember's current or future military duty status. Verbal notice is not sufficient. Delivery of the written notice may be accomplished in a number of ways, including hand deliver, private business carrier, or by cer tified mail with return receipt requested. In all circumstances, the Ser vicemember should obtain some proof that the lessor/landlord received the written notice and the date upon which receipt occur red. Note: For questions or concerns related to residential leases please seek guidance from your Legal Assistance Office. Q. I live off-post on the local economy. How do I file a complaint against my Landlord or Property Manager? A. The fir st step is to contact the Landlord or Property Manager and try to resolve the issue. If your Landlord or Proper ty Manager fails to resolve your issue in the allotted time as promised, you can visit with the Fort Sill Housing Ser vices Office at 4700 Mow Way Road, 3RD floor (580) 442-5190. We will assist you in resolving/mediating the potential complaint. BAH rates are based on local area rental market data and var y by geographic duty station, pay grade and dependency status. The cost of utilities and renters' insurance is also considered. BAH is based only on rental properties, not homeownership costs like mortgage payments and property taxes. The goal is that members receive a BAH that is sufficient to live a reasonable distance from a duty station. RATES BAH also includes rate protection. This means, if a member's current BAH rate is less than the previous year, the member receives at least the same amount of BAH as the previous year, provided that the member's duty location, rank and dependency status stays the same. If BAH rates go up, the member will receive the higher BAH rate as long as eligibility is uninterrupted. This ensures that members who have made long-term commitments in the form of a lease or contract are not penalized if the area's housing costs decrease. HOUSING BAH enables Ser vice members to live off-base comparably to their civilian counterparts. It is not designed to cover all housing costs for all members. Some members may have out-of-pocket expenses, because rates are based on the median cost of rent. A member's actual expenses may be higher or lower based on a member's actual choice of housing and where they live. Because members are free to make housing choices what best suit their needs, a ember may choose to use all their housing allowance to rent for more expensive housing close to the duty station, or have a longer commute for either a larger or less expensive house in an outlying area. Basic Housing Allowance (BAH)-OVERVIEW

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