All Forum Posts by: Julie Hartman

Section 8 does not place tenants into housing. The applicant locates their own housing, and as long as their voucher covers rent, you would be paid directly by the government. You say you are looking at "crappy" houses, but keep in mind that your property would need to pass inspection by HUD in order to qualify for Section 8. So any renovations you do need to make the property safe, clean, and in good working condition. You will need to pass the inspections on a yearly basis as well. As for your last question, I think you take that risk whether the prospective tenant is Section 8 or not. If the house is not clean, and in good condition, or the rent is not congruent with the market then you won't get many applicants for it no matter who is looking.

That's a close call but I would lean toward brother/sister. Jobs are W2 and with BF/GF, there is a chance of more drama (i.e. break-up). If brother/sister are young that would explain why one has no credit history. If you are concerned you could possibly ask for a bump in the deposit or a parent co-signer. If they balk at that, you have BF/GF as back-ups. You would probably be fine either way though. 

If there is a deposit, she most likely decided on her own to use her deposit as last months rent and plans to vacate. Just in case she changes her mind, I would give her a notice of non-renewal to make it official. At least this way, the paperwork is in motion on your end. Let her know the date she needs to be out so you can re-rent the unit. Let her know if she leaves the place quietly and in good condition, you will give her a good reference and not pursue missing rent. Failing all of that, you could do a cash for keys? 

It may depend on what your laws are. We always post them on the front door as well as send something electronically. And take a picture of the door/house after you post to prove you did it. With COVID, the rules may be different so it will be worth checking first. And make sure you fill out the notice exactly as the law indicates. Here, we have to also include any unattached garages or the notice will be invalid. (!) 

I don't live in Montana but if the lease is coming up for renewal can't you just give them a non-renewal notice per your notice guidelines outlined in the lease? 

We used to have several property owners with home warranties and now none of them do because they figured out they are a waste of money. If anything major fails (HVAC, water heater), they usually only pay a portion of the cost. And that's after sending out a tech half a dozen times while collecting the service fee. As a landlord you are obligated to make the quickest repair, not the cheapest, which is what our attorneys always tell us. Many owners don't want to hear that but we have to abide by habitability laws. And just as you found out the hard way, many service providers don't want to touch HW's. So you'll end up with the worst rated service providers in the business. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. 

You probably have photos from your ad when you were trying to rent the property so those are your "before" photos. That is a lot of damage for a 12 month term, especially the chip/bare wood marks. I would get a pro in there for an estimate to do a screen and re-coat. I would make the tenants pay part of that cost for sure. Yes, some of that could be argued as wear and tear but not all of it. 

In that case, next time they are late, send a notice per the guidelines of your lease and state laws. Depending on the laws of your state, if you send the notice and accept a partial payment that may start the process over, so read up on your landlord/tenant laws where you are. The eviction process can be long and frustrating so it is critical to follow the exact procedures of the process to have a better chance of a successful outcome. I would even recommend an eviction attorney in your area. They will guide you through it. Good luck!

A few questions about this: does the tenant have a pattern with their payments? For example, do they pay every month but it's a few days after the 5th? We have some tenants that don't get paid until after rent is due so we have worked agreements where we collect their rent on the 6th instead of the 1st without late fees. They have provided proof of their pay dates however. Or are your tenants paying at random times every month and late fees don't deter them? And have you been consistent in sending them pay or quit notices? If you haven't been sending notices, you may have a difficult time evicting. Also, rumor has it that the new administration is planning to extend the eviction moratorium until fall of 2021. 

Okay, that makes sense then. If this is managed by a PM, they will be the ones sending to collections on your behalf, so there really isn't anything for you to do other than be patient with the process. Your PM will have the documentation of unpaid rent and damages which the collection agent will require. We have had good success with using a collection company and I would say it has been worth the % they take to chase the money. It may not be a quick process though, so be prepared to wait it out.