Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Has anyone ever rented there property to someone that has section 8? What was your experience?

I personally have not, however many people on here have. Hopefully you will get more responses. You can also look through various posts in this forum regarding sec 8, I am sure there is much more info!

Posted by karen s, WI on Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thanks Karen, I found the forum with the horrible stories about Section 8 tenants.

Posted by Nekeisha S, FL on Thursday, February 21, 2013

My father has had a section 8 tenant for several years with no problems. I think it can be a good situation, but your property needs to be inspected every so often by a govt official. It can be a hassle to. I took a landlord class and was was told section 8 renters can be very good. i have never had one so I cant say too much. Best of luck to you

Posted by Travis T, MD on Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I have several section 8 rental properties. When you hear the words Section 8, you will hear many comments from good to bad. If you are a new landlord, the idea of renting to section 8 voucher tenants can be very attractive, since, in most cases, you are pretty much guaranteed your rent payment. There is some great free information on this free site, www.section8LL.com. Good luck with your new venture....

Posted by sam c, DE on Friday, March 29, 2013

If the tenant(s) have nothing to lose, it's not worth it. I have a Section 8 tenant now, who appears to have a mental illness. I am not sure it's been diagnosed or not, AND I DARE NOT INQUIRE. Though I have the building exterminated monthly, and she often refuses. Two months ago, she said that she saw a mouse, so she cemented, YES CEMENTED ALL THE BOTTOM kitchen cabinets closed. I called Section 8 to evict. Section 8 asked me if she was paying her portion of the rent, I told them she was paying. They then said that they would be on the court petition as co-defendants with the defendant , because she was paying her rent. IT DID NOT MATTER TO SECTION 8 THE DAMAGE THE TENANT DID TO THE CABINETS. The apartment was in perfect condition when she moved in. I have pictures and video to prove it. It is now a wreck. The cabinets alone will cost, at a minimum, $5000 (low ball) to replace. The tenant's caseworker will not speak with me, because I am JUST the landlord. Section 8 said I selected the tenant, so it is my problem. The security deposit social services provided (not section 8) by no means will cover the damage done. The mistake I made was going through a broker. The brokers just want the finder's fee. I usually select the tenant myself, but I for this tenant I had a lot going on. I have a full-time job. During that time, I didn't have the time to show the apartment, so I used a broker. This broker "professed" to be very knowledgeable about Section 8. It turns out, she didn't know much. She suddenly got sick, and I couldn't contact her, but when the tenant finally moved in, she made contact with the tenant to have another broker bring her finder's fee check to her home. I suggest you thoroughly screen them, call their previous landlord, and send someone out to where they used to live. I am not sure how involved the case mangers are in your state, but they want nothing to do with the landlords in NYC. New York State; more so NYC is so pro-tenant. The courts think we are all slumlords, when many of us are hardworking middle-class workers, with small investment properties. It's so hard to be a small landlord in New York City. Good luck!

Posted by Nancy K, NY on Friday, March 29, 2013

Never and never go to the current landlord of any tenant to ask for his or her opinion about soon to be ex-tenant because he or she will not tell you the whole truth about the tenant. Secondly most tenant will not give you information about his or her current landlord rather they will give the telephone # of their friends to speak on their behalf. Instead try as much as possible to locate the previous landlord before this current one, and since he or she has nothing to loose he or she will give a close to accurate information about your soon to be tenant. On sect 8 tenant, ask the tenant to give you his or her voucher number and the previous addresses he or she has lived before this time, and you can then use that information to find out how many violations did his or her former landlord incurred during his or her tenancy. Any rent suspension or restoration notices should signal some potential problem though not in all cases but should raise your antennae.

Posted by elijah o, NY on Saturday, June 15, 2013