Inherited Tenant Applying for State Assistance & Wants Me to Wait

Wichita, Kansas
General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Inherited Tenant Applying for State Assistance & Wants Me to Wait

Douglas UnderwoodPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2017 · 25 posts · 3 votes

Just inherited a tenant (from a recent duplex purchase) that is applying for rent assistance with the state of Kansas and asking me to wait for the rental payment.  Thoughts on how to handle this?

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Douglas Underwood:

Just inherited a tenant (from a recent duplex purchase) that is applying for rent assistance with the state of Kansas and asking me to wait for the rental payment.  Thoughts on how to handle this?

Is this an application for Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds? If so, the program basically says you can't kick the tenant out for non-payment while their application is pending. However, it also says they should provide proof of their inability to pay and/or provide partial payments to demonstrate good faith. Most just stop paying and wait for the state to catch them back up.

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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @Douglas Underwood:

    Just inherited a tenant (from a recent duplex purchase) that is applying for rent assistance with the state of Kansas and asking me to wait for the rental payment.  Thoughts on how to handle this?

    Is this an application for Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds? If so, the program basically says you can't kick the tenant out for non-payment while their application is pending. However, it also says they should provide proof of their inability to pay and/or provide partial payments to demonstrate good faith. Most just stop paying and wait for the state to catch them back up.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7243 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Greg RossBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Topeka, KS · Member since 2021 · 14 posts · 8 votes
    4y

    Douglas- I am going down nearly the same tracks. I don't know how far down the track you are with the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program but it is a time commitment. It's going to be at least 6 weeks before your train departs the station and they get to your file, they say. From there, you can expect underwriter-level scrutiny with your application, your tenant's application, and detailing the expenses. I am currently in the review stage and my tenant is 2 months delinquent on rent. The good news is that KERA can pay 2 or 3 months in advance. So, when my train pulls into the station and they get ready to write me a check they'll look at all the past due rent and dole out enough rent to cover the next 2 or 3 months' rent as well. Then, once that check is issued and the file is closed my tenant and I can book another train (I didn't intend to adopt a railroad theme yet it happened) for the next set of months that he probably won't be able to pay rent. The bad news is that this funding can go away. At that point, we've trained (see how I put train in there?) our tenant(s) to rely on the government to pay their rent. This experience has prompted me to look into Section 8. I've heard mostly good stories about it. Happy to chat more about this if you're interested! Choo-choo~ Greg

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  • Jonathan R.
    Investor · Wichita, KS · Member since 2017 · 584 posts · 813 votes
    4y

    I just went through the process in Kansas, wasn’t bad. Took about two months but I wasn’t proactive about it. If they need you to redo something they’ll call you. If you have to call them back it will go to a general voicemail where you leave a message and they call you back. You’ll get it eventually. 
    During the process the question you want to ask your tenant is how much can you pay? Try to get as much as you can while you wait. 

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