Working with Section 8 Applicants That Do Not Have RTA on Hand
Hi folks.
I am a Baltimore County, MD Landlord that specializes in Section 8 rentals, and facing a problem with filling a vacancy since November 2018 and now is Jan 6 2019. My Gosection8 posting generates good response, but none of the callers actually have RTA on hand. That means none of them can be considered as a serious customer, and my house stays on the market as vacant. This could be a seasonal variable where very few families move in winter, but I have never had vacancy this time of year and can't tell.
Are there are any strategies to deal with this situation?
I thought about asking for proof of current Lease Amount and Tenant Portion to predetermine if their voucher will pay, Holding Deposit to hold the house in their name. I am not sure if this is a good way to hold on to prospective tenant, or if this is illegal. Seeking fellow landlord advise on what to do.
#2 General Landlording & Rental Properties Contributor
Do you not bother to advertise to non government applicants. Seems as though you are creating the vacancy by eliminating a large portion of potential applicants. Why restrict yourself to only renting to the government.
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Relax man, it will be OK. Wintertime can be a devastating time to rent to people in cold environments. I'm facing the same thing in Ohio and dealt with the same thing last year.
Advertise on Go Section8, and Craigslist and Low Income Housing Websites for your area and make sure you advertise that you DO accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. You will get more phone calls from that tenant pool.
Originally posted by @Thomas S.:
Do you not bother to advertise to non government applicants. Seems as though you are creating the vacancy by eliminating a large portion of potential applicants. Why restrict yourself to only renting to the government.
I do it in purpose and that is my business model. In our area, it is difficult to find well qualified market tenant that can pay 1500+ rent reliably and be stable for a few years. Those that are already homeowners. Capische?
Originally posted by @Brian Garlington:
Relax man, it will be OK. Wintertime can be a devastating time to rent to people in cold environments. I'm facing the same thing in Ohio and dealt with the same thing last year.
Advertise on Go Section8, and Craigslist and Low Income Housing Websites for your area and make sure you advertise that you DO accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. You will get more phone calls from that tenant pool.
Thanks for support. I am just frustrated over voucher holders start looking for homes before they are actually ready to move.
#2 General Landlording & Rental Properties Contributor
"Difficult to find well qualified market tenant that can pay 1500+ rent"
That just isn't right that welfare recipients can afford that much rent. Makes it dam hard for working class to get descent housing. Great for you and your business but personally I am anti welfare. Irks me that my taxes go to them.
But good for you.
@Ken Chud - I feel your pain! I can’t tell you how many SEC 8 voucher holders call us and say they are porting from another state and want to rent our house. They always say they want to find a house before they start the process. By the time they give notice that won’t start until the first day of the month following the notice, the 2-3 weeks it will take their case worker to process their port paperwork, then the 2-3 weeks it will take to get their paperwork processed in the new HA, then the 2-3 weeks it will take them to get an appointment to get their RFTA, they are literally 3 months away from having the ability to move in. Occasionally we are pre-advertising a unit because a tenant gave notice. Usually we are advertising something that is already vacant.
We won’t show a house to a SEC 8 tenant who doesn’t have their paperwork yet for the exact reasons you stated. 1) Timing. 2) We need to confirm they have the right bedroom size and income to ensure they will qualify for our rent amount.
I agree with @Brian Garlington that this time of year is tough. One benefit of SEC 8 is that more of them move in winter months than non-SEC 8 tenants, but still fewer people even in SEC 8 move over the holidays. Be patient. Make sure your photos are superb. If you want us to check your ad, post a link to get some feedback.
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Real Estate Agent VA (#0225186139)
- 7574722547
- http://www.pmivirginia.com
Originally posted by @Patti Robertson:
@Ken Chud - I feel your pain! I can’t tell you how many SEC 8 voucher holders call us and say they are porting from another state and want to rent our house. They always say they want to find a house before they start the process. By the time they give notice that won’t start until the first day of the month following the notice, the 2-3 weeks it will take their case worker to process their port paperwork, then the 2-3 weeks it will take to get their paperwork processed in the new HA, then the 2-3 weeks it will take them to get an appointment to get their RFTA, they are literally 3 months away from having the ability to move in. Occasionally we are pre-advertising a unit because a tenant gave notice. Usually we are advertising something that is already vacant.
We won’t show a house to a SEC 8 tenant who doesn’t have their paperwork yet for the exact reasons you stated. 1) Timing. 2) We need to confirm they have the right bedroom size and income to ensure they will qualify for our rent amount.
I agree with @Brian Garlington that this time of year is tough. One benefit of SEC 8 is that more of them move in winter months than non-SEC 8 tenants, but still fewer people even in SEC 8 move over the holidays. Be patient. Make sure your photos are superb. If you want us to check your ad, post a link to get some feedback.
Thank you so much for encouragement @ Patti and @Brian. What I am seeing is quite opposite, where per 9 market tenant calls I get one from a voucher holder that is "window shopping".
Originally posted by @Thomas S.:
"Difficult to find well qualified market tenant that can pay 1500+ rent"
That just isn't right that welfare recipients can afford that much rent. Makes it dam hard for working class to get descent housing. Great for you and your business but personally I am anti welfare. Irks me that my taxes go to them.
But good for you.
You have to thank the housing crisis and deregulation that destabilized the housing market and jacked up rates. A lot of working class you are talking about has taken advantage of this in a not so good way by buying more house than they can afford, or refinancing then abandoning their homes. That has left a lot of houses and entire neighborhoods rotten plugged with decaying homes but damn banks keeping raising prices so my mortgage is high And the price of rent is what I have to charge to afford mortgage and repairs.
The other kind of working class can reasonably afford the rent based on salaries in our area if they are not lazy and work at McDs. There are cheaper neighborhoods too and plenty housing for them too, if you so care about the working folk. If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.
Originally posted by :
Originally posted by :Thank you so much for encouragement @ Patti and @Brian. What I am seeing is quite opposite, where per 9 market tenant calls I get one from a voucher holder that is "window shopping".
Are you saying you won't rent to someone who doesn't have a voucher? I am happy to get qualified calls, no matter who they are. We rent to the first qualified applicant, no matter if they are SEC 8 or non-SEC 8.
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Real Estate Agent VA (#0225186139)
- 7574722547
- http://www.pmivirginia.com
Originally posted by @Patti Robertson:
Originally posted by :Originally posted by :
Thank you so much for encouragement @ Patti and @Brian. What I am seeing is quite opposite, where per 9 market tenant calls I get one from a voucher holder that is "window shopping".
Are you saying you won't rent to someone who doesn't have a voucher? I am happy to get qualified calls, no matter who they are. We rent to the first qualified applicant, no matter if they are SEC 8 or non-SEC 8.
I am happy to get market tenant calls as well, however, there is a bad credit problem and area demographics at play.
@Ken Chud, I do all voucher tenants too. Now, since BRHP has implemented there "opportunity areas", all first year applicants can only apply in certain areas in the county(ie Parkville, Towson, Lutherville, Catonsville, etc). So now your only pool of applicants are people moving from one house to another. A lot of landlords in the city and county are starting to be forced to take market tenants. Vacancy rates are going up for anyone in the voucher program across the board in Baltimore County.
Thank you everyone. Re-reading the thread I am very sorry if have been rude to anyone but do not want get political on here. Your were right by seasonal fluctuation, house was rented in April of 2019. It was my first and only property in that particular area so I will know to avoid winter time vacancy there at all costs.
