1. Home
  2. Software
  3. USDA RD Software
ExactEstate — USDA Rural Development

USDA Rural Development Property Management Software

ExactEstate ships USDA RD as a first-class platform behavior: native MINC XML export schema-validated against the USDA RD standard, RD-3560-8 tenant certification,layered-program support when RD properties also carry LIHTC or HOME, and the audit trail USDA requires for §3560 file review.

20 minutes. No sales pitch. See exactly how we handle your program.

Affordable housing apartment building
MINC XMLSchema-validated export
The reality

USDA RD, treated as first-class — not a bolt-on

USDA Rural Development is the smallest of the major federal rental-assistance programs — and that's exactly why most PMS platforms ignore it, or charge for it as a deep add-on.

When MINC rejects an export, you re-key it. When an RD property also carries LIHTC, the ceilings and cadence stop agreeing. When file review comes, the trail is scattered across systems. That is not a staffing problem. It is a software problem — and ExactEstate was built for exactly this.

Resident at home in an affordable housing unitPBV · HCV · PBRA, one install

USDA RD software handles the operational and compliance requirements of USDA Rural Development's rental housing programs.

It covers Section 515 (Rural Rental Housing), Section 514 (Farm Labor Housing), Section 516 (Off-Farm Labor Housing), and Section 521 Rental Assistance under 7 CFR Part 3560. The principal submission system is MINC (Multi-Family Information & Communications), which accepts XML uploads conforming to the USDA RD schema, and the principal certification form is RD-3560-8 (Tenant Certification).

01
515

Rural Rental Housing

USDA's core Section 515 program for rural multifamily rental housing.

7 CFR Part 3560 · §515
02
514

Farm Labor Housing

Housing for farm laborers under Section 514, financed by USDA Rural Development.

7 CFR Part 3560 · §514
03
516

Off-Farm Labor Housing

Off-farm labor housing under Section 516, often paired with Section 514.

7 CFR Part 3560 · §516
What ExactEstate does

Everything USDA RD needs, native

No add-on modules, no third-party exports. MINC export, RD-3560-8 certification, recertification cadence, and layered-program compliance on one install.

01

MINC XML export

Schema-validated against the USDA RD standard.

MINC (Multi-Family Information & Communications) XML export, schema-validated and conforming to USDA RD standards. Supports both initial certifications and recertification exports, and maps income fields to USDA categories — including the SSI vs. Other distinction.

02

RD-3560-8 tenant certification

Native PDF generation for tenant certification.

RD-3560-8 (Tenant Certification) generates as a native PDF, with form fields mapped using the same PDF pipeline used for HUD forms.

03

USDA-specific income records

Built for USDA's income reporting requirements.

Distinct from standard wage and benefit categorization, USDA-specific income records carry the SSI vs. Other distinction through to MINC export.

04

Layered-program support

LIHTC or HOME on the same RD property.

When a USDA RD property also carries LIHTC or HOME (common at mixed-finance sites), the platform resolves the most restrictive rent ceiling and income limit across all three programs at lease save and at TIC approval.

05

Recertification cadence

Annual recerts on the 120 / 90 / 60 / 30-day schedule.

Annual recertifications fire on the 120/90/60/30-day notice schedule via Document Builder system templates. When USDA RD is layered with LIHTC, the cadence resolves to the shortest applicable across programs.

06

Compliance folder retention

RD records retained with the rest of the file.

USDA RD records — RD-3560-8 packets, supporting income/asset verification, and annual occupancy data — retain in the property's Compliance folder with appropriate retention.

07

State HFA TIC, layered

RD-3560-8 and the state TIC, side by side.

When a USDA RD property is also LIHTC-financed, the state HFA TIC (e.g., the Colorado USDA RD-3560-8 template) generates alongside the USDA certification.

On the ground

Built for the work your team actually does

Property manager meeting a residentCertify & submit

Generate MINC XML exports

  • All Sections 1–13, frozen at approval.
  • PIC status, confirmation number, and errors tracked.
  • Action types 1–15, accessibility and HQS fields.
Manager handing keys at a unitReconcile subsidy

Generate RD-3560-8 certifications

  • One PHA wire splits across all residents at once.
  • SUBRENT and RENT post automatically per balance.
  • Allocation snapshot kept for defensible reconciliation.
Inspection walkthrough at a propertyTrack & verify

Layer USDA RD with LIHTC

  • 10 HMIS-aware Special Population set-aside types.
  • HQS dates and an NSPIRE deterministic scoring engine.
  • Scoped case-worker portal for HUD-VASH managers.
Three regimes, in detail

Layered programs, in every rural market

Layered programs in rural markets

24 CFR Part 983

Many USDA RD properties also carry LIHTC, HOME, or PBRA. At lease save, all applicable rent ceilings validate together — USDA contract rent, LIHTC AMI tier limit, HOME-Low rent limit — and the most restrictive raises a validation error. At certification, income limits resolve across all applicable programs and return the most restrictive ceiling for the household size.

Section 521 Rental Assistance

24 CFR Part 982

Section 521 Rental Assistance functions similarly to a HAP voucher within the USDA RD framework. The subsidy posts as a SUBRENT charge and the tenant contribution as a RENT charge — the same mechanics ExactEstate uses for Section 8.

Coverage in every state

24 CFR Parts 880–884

USDA RD properties exist in every state. ExactEstate has shipped state HFA TIC templates for Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, with additional states available via the per-state PDF pipeline.

One price. Every program.

Every compliance module included

$3per unit
per month, flat
  • All compliance modules
  • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited support
  • No per-program SKUs
Book a Demo See full pricing

$300 flat per month for portfolios under 100 units. We tell you upfront, not after you sign.

In their words

What operators say after switching

ExactEstate implemented our software in days, not weeks. Any customized request is executed immediately. We now run TRACS submissions, lease signing and background checks all through this single platform. Complete game changer for our team.
JGJoe G.Real Estate Owner
Considering this is a tax-credit community, ExactEstate makes daily tasks like recertifications, nightly reports, marketing, intake applications, and delinquencies more fluent to navigate. It's modern, intuitive and low time consuming.
JCJuan Carlos B.Compliance, Tax Credit Community
What is USDA Rural Development property management software?
USDA Rural Development property management software handles the operational and compliance requirements of USDA RD rental housing programs — Section 515 (Rural Rental Housing), Section 514 (Farm Labor Housing), Section 516 (Off-Farm Labor Housing), and Section 521 Rental Assistance — under 7 CFR Part 3560. Core capabilities include MINC XML submission, RD-3560-8 tenant certification, annual recertifications, and integration with overlay programs like LIHTC where the property is layered.
Does ExactEstate generate MINC XML?
Yes. ExactEstate generates USDA MINC (Multi-Family Information & Communications) XML exports, schema-validated against the USDA RD standard. The export maps income fields to USDA's categories with the SSI vs. Other distinction. Both initial certification and recertification exports are supported.
Does ExactEstate handle RD-3560-8?
Yes. The platform generates RD-3560-8 (Tenant Certification) as a native PDF, with form fields mapped using the same PDF pipeline used for HUD forms.
Can ExactEstate handle USDA RD properties that also carry LIHTC?
Yes. Layered LIHTC + USDA RD properties are common in rural markets. The platform resolves the most restrictive rent ceiling and income limit across both programs at lease save and at TIC approval. At certification, ExactEstate generates both the USDA RD-3560-8 and the relevant state HFA LIHTC TIC (e.g., Colorado CHFA, where USDA RD + LIHTC layering is common).
Does ExactEstate handle USDA RD recertifications?
Yes. Annual recertifications fire on the standard 120/90/60/30-day notice schedule via Document Builder system templates. The recertification schedule records the governing program. When USDA RD is layered with LIHTC, the cadence resolves to the shortest applicable across programs.
Does ExactEstate produce the audit trail USDA file review requires?
Yes. The platform produces an append-only audit log indexed for query, frozen form snapshots at approval, period-close enforcement, and per-tenant audit chains keyed to the actor. USDA RD records retain in the property's Compliance folder.
How does ExactEstate handle USDA's SSI vs. Other income distinction?
USDA distinguishes SSI from other income types in its MINC schema. The platform's income records support USDA-specific categorization, with the MINC export mapping income fields correctly to the USDA categories at export time.
Does ExactEstate handle Section 521 Rental Assistance?
Yes. Section 521 Rental Assistance functions similarly to a HAP voucher within the USDA RD framework. The subsidy mechanics — subsidy posting as a SUBRENT charge, tenant contribution as a RENT charge — apply the same way they do for Section 8.
What states does ExactEstate serve for USDA RD operators?
USDA RD properties exist in every state. ExactEstate has shipped state HFA TIC templates for Alaska AHFC, California TCAC, Colorado CHFA, Florida FHFC, Georgia DCA, Illinois IHDA, Maryland CDA/DHCD, Michigan MSHDA, North Carolina NCHFA, New York HCR, Ohio OHFA, Pennsylvania PHFA, and Texas TDHCA, with additional states available via the per-state PDF pipeline.
Keep exploring

Related compliance software

Hub

Affordable Housing Compliance

Model LIHTC, HUD, Section 8, USDA, and TRACS at once — on the same unit.

Explore the hub
Related spoke

TRACS Software

Native TRACS 203A submission through ShofCorp for PBRA and Multifamily operators.

View TRACS
Related spoke

LIHTC Compliance

IRC §42 enforcement with the 140% AUR engine, AIT validation, and state HFA TICs.

View LIHTC

See the MINC export workflow, end to end

On a Section 515 property — including a layered-LIHTC unit where the USDA RD certification and the state HFA TIC generate side-by-side from the same TIC record.

Book a Demo