Section 8 tips and advice ?

Question

I’m thinking of putting my single family house on section 8, for those who have done it what are the pros & cons? Any information is appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Located in CA

High dessert.

Patti Robertson · Answer

I currently manage 85 SEC 8 leases and prefer the program in a low income area. People ask this so often that I got tired of typing and wrote my info in a blog.  Here's a link.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/9232/55313-intro-to-section-8---your-perceptions-vs-my-realities

John Underwood · Answer

Screen applicants the same as any other tenant. That is the best advice I know.

I love the program and wish I could move most of my properties I to section 8.

Art Escajeda · Answer

@Catherine Thank you

Patti Robertson · Answer

@Rick Gallahue Wow, every time I hear want to these crazy landlord tenant stories and so thankful to be Landlording in Virginia!

Rick Gallahue · Answer

@Patti Robertson Because our local housing authority lets them.  Attorneys were involved and we couldn't go after the housing inspector directly.  The judge actually said that they could live there indefinitely if they wanted to on our nickle.  Where I am it is difficult to prove responsibility as the state supreme court ruled that even not paying rent is not a willful act which pretty much shuts down the Landlord Tenant Act.  My lease does the same as yours.. this was an inherited tenant whose lease wasn't as strong.  Judges here tend to always side with the tenant.  Glad you don't have to deal with the things that I do.

Patti Robertson · Answer

@Rick Gallahue- Why in the world would any tenant every be able to live in a property for 8 months rent free? If a property went on abatement, SEC 8 would terminate your contract before 8 months if you didn't bring the property up to standard.  We hold our tenants financially responsible for the damage they do.  I can't hold them responsible for rent that was abated, but I can hold them responsible for any damage.  The carpet hole due to a tenant's animal would have resulted in a repair bill being sent to the tenant. If the tenant didn't pay (or get a charity to pay), then we would take them to court and get a judgment.  If you evict based on the judgment, the tenant loses their voucher. This is a HUD rule and is not up to the local inspector.

Rick Gallahue · Answer

Section 8 is a double edged sword.  A lot of it depends on your local inspectors and responsibility the inspector places on the Landlord because the Landlord is responsible for everything the inspector says they are responsible for and payment will be withheld should there be non-compliance.  I will give you 2 examples.  I recently had an inspection where the tenant had placed a bed partially in the doorway.  The inspector determined that the placement of the tenant's furniture was a violation on the Landlords part and rent was withheld.  We contested this as it was the tenant's placement of the furniture not provided by us and we had no right to even touch the furniture.  I lost the case and tenant lived virtually free for 8 months.  On another property I acquired had inherited a tenant with a cat.  The cat clawed its way through the carpet in an interior doorway.  The inspector determined that it was the Landlord's responsibility and we had to replace the carpet and was minus 1 month of Section 8 rental assistance payment because of that tenant's cat.  I could go on but at least in my market, Section 8 is a bad deal and as leases need to be renewed the former tenants find that they need to find another place to live.

Catherine Emert · Answer

You take the good with that bad with section 8. I have seen great section 8 tenants and horrible ones - but maybe this article will be useful to you both!

https://sparkrental.com/become...

Danielle Wolter · Answer

I'll be interested in this as well. I recently looked at a property that was section 8 and decided against it just because I didn't feel I knew enough about it yet.

Section 8 tips and advice ?

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