Section 8 and voucher programs in Dallas - Landlord benefits?

Question

I have a flip property in Duncanville I am heavily considering keeping and exploring the voucher programs. It's a 4bd home and the FMR puts this around $3,000. I've spent a good deal of an hour clicking around in circles on the DHA webpage and setting up a profile with their bob.ai platform but cannot seem to get real answers or the ability to speak to someone about the details.

Anyone have experience with voucher program as a land lord?

Bruce Lynn · Answer

It can be great or horrible.  You'll hear both.  Some people love it, some people hate it.

Benefit is once you get on the program the government direct deposits into your account.  This may take a month or two.  That's perhaps the main benefit.  Maybe another one is tenants may tend to stay longer as long as they are eligible for the program.

Not 100% sure, but I don't think they always pay that FMR number.  Several HA allow their clients to stay in Duncanville.  You might go by the Dallas HA office and see if you can speak with someone to see how they determine rents or see if they still have their landlord seminar.  That seems to have changed over Covid and not sure they ever got back on a regular schedule.

Not sure what you have to offer other than the 4 bedrooms, but I would guess rent would be more around $2400/month vs $3000.  $3000 sounds pretty high to me for the area.

Downside is you're renting to someone who can't pay rent...and has money challenges.  That just brings on a whole set of issues.  For example the HA will inspect the property every year to make sure it is up to standards.  They assign issues to either the tenant or the owner.  In reality the owner probably gets to do and pay for the repairs as the tenant has no money for things like this.  If it doesn't get repaired, no matter who is responsible, the rent payments stop.  In my experience you tend to get more people living there than the people who apply.  There always seems to be a boyfriend and his 2 cousins, or another mom and her boyfriend, or two additional sisters or something.  More people typically means more wear and tear.  There are just more stories and more issues I see in many circumstances.   You'll get people here telling you all their voucher tenants are stellar, nice, kind, caring people with bad circumstances and are the most respectful tenants ever.  Hopefully that is your experience too.

The other thing these days that would concern me is DOGE.  I can just see that voucher program being one of the target programs hit.  They're already talking about 40% staff cuts at HUD.