Looking for Insights from Landlords Managing Section 8 / Affordable Housing

[Jordan Yale]

Hi everyone,

I’m in the early stages of building a tech solution for small and mid-size landlords who work with Section 8 tenants or manage affordable housing units.

If you’ve got experience in this area, I’d love to hear about:

- Pain points working with housing authorities

- Delays or issues collecting payments

- Inspection or compliance headaches

- Any gaps in the current tools you’re using (AppFolio, Buildium, etc.)

This isn’t a sales pitch — I’m just doing deep research before building anything. If you’re open to a short chat (email or phone) please comment below or message me directly.

Thanks so much — I really appreciate the knowledge and generosity of this community.

[Patrick O'Sullivan]

Thanks for opening up this conversation, Jordan. I’ve been managing a few units with Section 8 tenants for several years now, and there are some recurring challenges worth noting:

• Housing Authority Communication: Each local PHA tends to operate a little differently, and sometimes it’s hard to get clear or timely updates. Caseworkers may change frequently, and it’s not always easy to get consistent information.

• Payment Timing: While the rent is generally reliable, I’ve experienced delays with initial move-in payments or adjustments after a rent increase request. Knowing exactly when to expect funds each month would be helpful.

• Inspections: This is a big one. Scheduling can be tough, and the standards sometimes feel subjective depending on the inspector. Failing for minor issues can mean long delays before re-inspection and lease-up.

• Tech Gaps: Most of the major PM software options (like Buildium or AppFolio) don’t have great built-in features for tracking subsidy payments vs. tenant portions, or managing recertifications and inspection dates. I end up using spreadsheets to stay on top of those.

Hope that helps give you some direction — feel free to keep the conversation going here in the forum so others can weigh in too. Good luck with your research!