Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Tenant complained that the oven does not work. The stove had huge amounts of grease on it which had drain down on the burners and down inside the stove, as well as being cooked and burned. I tried to open the top of the stove and I could not because it was glued shut from the grease. I had a repairman to check it and he found there was grease built up preventing the stove top from opening and the element to the oven was clogged as well from the grease. When I told the Tenants it was due to their negligence and they were responsible to repair it. I had to replace the stove twice already because of their neglect to clean the stove. It frightens me because the grease on the stove can be a fire hazardous. The tenant is a Section 8 recipient and they tell me, they have no money to repair it. What can I do to stop this revolving situation and make them responsible.

Section 8 Rentals are more profitable for the landlord because with a non section 8 tenant can still damage your property and make you go through expensive and time wasting evictions. Than they leave and you cant find them to get your money that is owed to you. The section 8 tenants are bound by rules and they could lose their voucher if you file complaints. If you are really concerned about your property, make your complaints but keep in mind they could lose their voucher. Have them sign something about keeping the property taken care of.

Posted by Bill F, MS on Saturday, October 17, 2015

I am aware of the pros for Section 8 tenants, however in DC they are not held accountable for the destruction that is done to the property. They are represented by Lawyers and counter sue me for complaining about their behavior. Have them to sign something is a joke to them.

Posted by Felicia J, MD on Saturday, October 17, 2015

Some tenants are just bad seeds and you're not going to fix their behavior. I would non-renew their lease agreement at the earliest opportunity. Make sure you send them the non-renewal notice before the deadline in DC. You could always deduct the stove repair cost from their security deposit after they move out.

Posted by Harry D, MD on Sunday, October 18, 2015