Landlord Application for Rental Assistance? (Not Tenant)

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Landlord Application for Rental Assistance? (Not Tenant)

Phil Mcnally
Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes

I am trying to work out if there is any Rental Assistance program that the Landlord can apply for that does not involve the tenant. EG Tenant did not pay for six months then disappeared leaving a $5k make ready.

I have not found anything that would cover this. At least they have gone.

Cheers...phil
 

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James Mcsweeney
Denver, CO · Member since 2020 · 112 posts · 95 votes
5y

No assistance in sight and what has been offered by my state really doesn’t help much at all.

I’m sitting on 2 empty units at the moment and refuse to rent them out until these asinine eviction restrictions are up. Personally I’d rather take a loss for a year or longer than put up with some freeloading jerks living there for free while completely capable of paying their rent.

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  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    5y

    I'd like to know if that exists also.

    The ones I've heard of require the tenant to fill out forms.

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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    No. All the assistance programs require Tenant involvement. At a minimum, they require the tenant's written approval for the Landlord to apply on their behalf.

    I have a similar situation. Tenant was two months behind on rent but had clear evidence of lost employment, communicated well about what they were doing to try and catch up or seek assistance, and made small payments every month to show they were trying. They were arrested last month for some significant fraud and are likely going away for a decade or more. I had to hire people to empty the house, now we will have to replace flooring and paint. By the time it's done, we'll have lost another month of rent and utilities (at least), plus the cost of emptying and turning the property around. About $6,000 lost and it happened right before the floodgates open for rental assistance, so we won't see a dime of it even though most of the losses were due to COVID.

    C'est la vie!

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  • Phil Mcnally
    OP
    Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes
    5y

    Yeah frustrating for all of us.

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  • Carlos Carbajal
    Property Manager · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2017 · 74 posts · 71 votes
    5y

    @Phil Mcnally yes here is the website for applying on behalf of your tenants here in California.

    https://housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/index.html

    The program is not first come, first serve. They are prioritizing lower income tenants first.

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  • Phil Mcnally
    OP
    Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes
    5y

    I did have a look Carlos but it requires tenant input...

    2.Your renters must take steps to verify that they meet eligibility requirements and sign the application

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    1. Phil Mcnally
      OP
      Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes
      5y

      Oh dear CDC eviction ban extended until July and no way for landlords to get any rental assistance unless the tenant agrees to join in. Impossible if your tenant has already run away or refuses to talk.

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    2. Ying B.
      Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 53 posts · 17 votes
      5y

      I would still try to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance program under your municipality. Yes. It does require tenants signature but if after Owner has completed all the necessary application paperwork, tenants who have vacated decided to not communicate, not collaborate, then I will still pursue with the program administrator to grant me an exception and consider me eligible as it can be argued that Landlord did everything lawful and the non collaborative party is the tenants and that should not take my right of compensation away.   I will ask my attorney communicate to tenants and program administrator to add a level of seriousness. I was owed close to 6 months rent and was able to evict in June 2020 as the first limited eviction ban did not apply to me.  On top of that, I was dealt with over $5000 property damage. The FAQ from the Treasury https://home.treasury.gov/syst... made reference to "rental assistance be provided to temporarily displaced households". I interpret it as to mean the ERAP does apply to those who vacated the property.  In the FAQ of Georgia's Fulton county's ERAP, to this question "If I was evicted already, may I apply", the answer is "Yes".  A law is not always black and white and it always leaves room for interpretation.  I don't think we should give up before we try everything. Landlords who incurred a provable loss has a legitimate case here.  If I am successful in getting the rent arrears covered via ERAP, I will report back on this topic. 

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    3. Phil Mcnally
      OP
      Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes
      5y

      Thanks Ying. All fair points.

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    4. Aj Parikh
      Rental Property Investor · Centreville, VA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 799 votes
      5y

      If the tenant has left the property or has been evicted, you won't be able to receive any funding because the tenant also has to sign some documents. I am from Fairfax County, VA and I have applied to the landlord assistance program and my application got rejected because the tenant is also going through eviction even though the tenant owes 5 months of rent. There is a flaw in the program that it involves the landlord to work with the tenant to get documents. If the tenant is not paying rent, how do you think the tenant will cooperate when the landlord needs funds.

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    5. Ying B.
      Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 53 posts · 17 votes
      5y
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    6. Phil Mcnally
      OP
      Real Estate Investor · Brisbane, CA · Member since 2014 · 76 posts · 48 votes
      5y

      Exactly Aj. The tenants not paying for months are also not talking and will now sign anything. I now have three tenants that did not paid for six months (each) and have now left. Total missing rent around $15k total make ready for new tenants around $10k. No way to apply for assistance.

      Now on the flip side we have refinanced all loans from an average of 4.9% down to 3.15% fixed that should pay back nicely in the future.

      I am just fed up seeing all the headlines about available rent assistance and eviction bans when we do not have a way to claim.

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    7. James Mcsweeney
      Denver, CO · Member since 2020 · 112 posts · 95 votes
      5y

      No assistance in sight and what has been offered by my state really doesn’t help much at all.

      I’m sitting on 2 empty units at the moment and refuse to rent them out until these asinine eviction restrictions are up. Personally I’d rather take a loss for a year or longer than put up with some freeloading jerks living there for free while completely capable of paying their rent.

      1Reply
    8. Aj Parikh
      Rental Property Investor · Centreville, VA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 799 votes
      5y

      @Phil Mcnally I am in the middle of an eviction process and I have already lost more than 3 months of rent. I applied for the landlord assistance program that my county had and they told me since I am evicting the tenant, I won’t qualify.

      The program is for keeping the tenants in house and not in shelters so I was rejected. I wonder if I can give that explanation to my mortgage, taxes, insurance and HOA fees.

      The assistance programs started to kick in last week and I had applied for eviction end of Feb. Don’t you love Real Estate investing :)

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    9. Aj Parikh
      Rental Property Investor · Centreville, VA · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 799 votes
      5y

      @Ying B. Thank you for the all the courage. I didn't even think of appealing because I had already accepted defeat. In the rental assistance program's benefit, they did call me 3 hours after I made my application that I won't qualify so happy with the service but it sucks as a landlord that I can't even get my missed rent or damages to the property. The tenant has already cost me $5000 and more in unpaid rents and court fees and and maybe more once I get possession of my property and find out what damages they have left me. 

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