How to turn rental property into Sect 8

Question

I recently purchased a property in not so pleasant part of town. Has anyone tried to get their property rental classified as Section 8 housing? If so, how did you go about getting it enlisted as such? What besides the obvious are the problems/issues going this route?

Rod Smith · Answer

Thank you Lisa for your response! I believe I am going to pursue this route.

Lisa Ginter · Answer

Hi Rod,

What a wonderful question! I think it depends on the city/ county you are in. I personally have not gone this route but I used to help manage my in laws multi-units while I was going through college and have considered doing what they did down the road.

Instead of getting classified for the entire property, they went down to the local housing authority and talked to the manager about their units and left handouts about their properties that was marketed around helping section 8 elderly folks. They had 3 fourplexes and we went the route of getting each unit spot approved when a section 8 housing applicant came through. They highly recommend it and loved having those tenants. Many of them were fixed income and disabled and had the entire rental amount paid through the Section 8 program and all of them lived there for years. The section 8 housing authorities would come out once a year to do an inspection on the property which would help encourage them to communicate openly with us and let us fix things as they got broken. I am sure there are horror stories out there with others, but the experience I had was very fulfilling.

Gail K. · Answer

Since each house on this program has to be initially inspected (as well as yearly inspections) it would be beneficial to review the requirements with your particular Housing Authority.  Issues like peeling paint, broken windows, outlets/light switches uncovered would not pass inspection.  Often porches above a certain height need balusters and rails and steps above a certain level need sturdy hand rails.  And of course working smoke alarms (and if gas, carbon monoxide detectors).  However, some inspectors are quite "thorough" and there have been many stories from landlords about a unit failing because of a pulled thread in a carpet being a "trip hazard" or a range with dirty drip pans being a fire hazard.

Keep in mind that some Section 8 tenants can be quite rough on a rental property and landlords will attempt to "harden" these.  There is no requirement for garbage disposals or ceiling fans in this program. Remember if follow up inspections fail the unit the person responsible for repairing will be you even if the damage is done by the tenant.