If you are a survivor of the 2023 Maui wildfires, and you are in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program, the following information may help guide you through the rental payment process.
Q&A: Rental Payment Options & Instructions
When will Direct Housing participants be required to begin paying rent?
As of March 1, 2025, all Direct Housing households are required to begin paying monthly rent to FEMA.
How will participants receive their rent statement?
Households will receive their rent statements at their current mailing address, and the applicant can obtain their billing statements by signing into their FEMA account online and looking under current communications. Should the applicant not have an online account, they can visit one of the two front facing centers located at the Office of Recovery Lahaina Gateway Center or Kakoo Maui in the Maui Mall and a FEMA representative will assist.
How do participants send in their rent payment?
Phone: Call 866-804-2469 Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST (EST is currently six hours ahead of Hawaiʻi time.)
Accepted phone payment methods:Bank account (ACH)
Debit or credit card
Check or Money Order Payable to FEMA via one of the following methods:
U.S. Mail:
FEMA,
PO Box 6200-16,
Portland, OR 97228-6200
Overnight Delivery/Courier Payments:
U.S. BANK-Government Lockbox
ATTN: DHS-FEMA-6200-16
17650 NE Sandy Blvd,
Portland, OR 97230
Return U.S. Department of the Treasury Checks by U.S. Mail:
U.S. Department of the Treasury
ATTN: Treasury Check Return
PO Box 51318
Philadelphia, PA 19115
Electronic Payment:
Online at www.pay.gov
Accepted online payment methods:
Bank account (ACH)
PayPal account
Venmo account
Debit or credit card
How do participants make an electronic rent payment, or e-payment?
Online at www.pay.gov
Type “FEMA” into the search box (white box located at top right of page)
In Search Results, look for FEMA Finance Center – Payment Form
Click [Continue]
Click [Continue to the Form]
Complete the Agency Form
Notice and Debt Letter (NDL) # is on your letter under the address. This number will change monthly.
Click [Continue]
Complete Payment Form
Option to enter email address to receive email confirmation
Click [Continue]
Process is complete
Can participants set up automatic electronic rent payments, or auto-pay?
Auto-pay is not an available option at this time.
Can participants pay with cash?
No, cash payments will not be accepted.
Am I able to pay for other household’s rent?
Yes, you will need to make separate payments as each household has their own account number. If mailed by check, please include the third page from the Notice and Debt letter and write the NDL# on the memo line of the check
When is the rent payment due?
Rent must be paid within 30 days from the first of every month.
What if a participant makes a payment after 30 days?
Payments made beyond the 1st of each month will be considered late and will be subject to a late fee equal to the FMR of the unit they are occupying as well as associated penalty fees related to the monthly cost for the unit i.e. Property Management Company fees, Performance Maintenance Inspection fees, furnishing fees and utilities.
If the household does not pay the HUD Fair Market Rent and all associated fees in full, they will be removed from their current unit and from FEMA’s Direct Housing Program entirely.
What if I would like to move out of my FEMA temporary housing unit?
If you have secured permanent housing or would like to leave your FEMA unit for another reason, notify your recertification advisor. If you vacate the unit by the end of the month, you are not responsible for the following month’s rent. FEMA does not prorate monthly rent. If you move out of your FEMA unit at any point during the month, you are responsible for the full amount of the rent for that month.
Who do I contact if I have questions on how to pay?
Call FEMA Finance at 866-804-2469, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST (EST is currently six hours ahead of Hawaiʻi time) or email FEMA-Finance-AccountsReceivable-Deposits@FEMA.dhs.gov. If you use video relay service, captioned service, or other communication services, please provide FEMA with the specific number assigned for that service.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.