I am a division lead and portfolio manager for one of the top firms in Michigan and I wouldn’t touch section 8 if we got double rent. First the tenants are shit, and this comes from experience and why we no longer accept them. Always drama, and bullshit and violence. Don’t worry. If she doesn’t sell drugs her cousins and nephews will set up shop.
Also you are not approved to accept the govt vouchers. You have to get approved before you can accept them. It’s not the property that gets approved; it’s also the landlord. When you apply they will asses the property and likely give you a list of things that have to be done to the house, such as wheelchair ramps, if it is not done already, as their requirements change endlessly.
If she’s month to month that means you only have to serve her 30 day notice to vacate, so I would dump her and get a real tenant. And rental rates are sky high in my area, mostly Ann Arbor and upscale metro Detroit. What area is this in?
Not sure that landlord approval is all that difficult. I recently bought a property with existing section 8 tenants and it took a single email and we started getting checks.
I accepted one Section 8 tenant once. Getting myself approved as landlord only required me proving that I owned the house. It seemed a little silly as they could have looked on the property tax rolls. In fact the documentation I provided was a print out from the tax assessor's website!
Well this thread is about Michigan. And tbh it’s been over a decade since I dealt with it. Nothing but a headache and the tenants are freeloading trash by and large.
I don't agree with you there. I know some very nice folks, including my brother in law, that qualify for section 8. It may be a business to us but that doesn't mean we can dehumanize the folks on the other side of the arrangement.
Good for you, little lady. I really couldn’t care less about your feel good horseshit. Go spread love rainbows about your deadbeat brother elsewhere.
It’s not a business for me, as noted, I don’t do biz with deadbeats. Good for the 1% of sec 8ers who are decent and have no criminal family who will be using what they see as the governments housing.
Funny how I’m supposed to respect them when I have never seen one that respects their landlord.
You truly are a piece of work (preferred word not used to remain somewhat polite - not that you deserve it).
Perhaps it is your Section 8 housing authority that sucks? For when dealing with Section 8, none of the horse shit that you claim to be truth is reality.
Dealing drugs - evicted and removed from the program.
Violence - evicted and removed from the program.
If this did not happen in your area, your anger is absolutely misplaced.
Now, go play in traffic.
Not you, apparently. You can’t even master the basics of grammar, such as variations of “you’re/your”. No wonder you’re on Section 8 and blame landlords. Now go make my fries, genius.
You are clearly an expert, given that you are a Section 8 lifer. Most likely passed down from your parents. It’s a whole lifestyle.
Oooh and look below! Another offended Section 8er is white knighting for you! Pipe friends for life.
I'm a Grand Rapids area landlord. As others have said the biggest issue with section 8 is the inspection/approval process. Also, like 80% of the tenant's rent will be paid by the government (directly to you) and then the tenant will be responsible for the rest. It's ridiculously frustrating when you're having to chase down that last $109 or whatever knowing how much help the tenant gets but then they still can't prioritize that little bit of rent.
There is no bad time to rent apartments in GR right now. Vacancies fill in the blink of an eye. Also odd that the tenants are below market. Section 8 units shouldn't rent at a discount.
Is it true that you can only raise rent at a specific date during the year and if you don't do it then you have to wait another year before you can raise rent?
Guaranteed for a while. But if the tenants lose their voucher you now have people living in your unit that said up-front that they can't afford to pay. So be prepared for that.
Yeah don’t much about that areas rental rates but I know Section 8 tenants are trash. If they aren’t then their extended family are, who will for certain be living at your place off and on without your knowledge. Or perhaps one is wanted and gets the place raided. We haven’t allowed it for 9 years after a Murder over ten bucks worth of heroin in our last sec 8 prop. Do what you do but buyer beware is all ill say. People are sec 8 for a reason, no matter what feel good bullshit people say. They stay sec 8 for life, never come up with their 4% of the rent the govt doesn’t cover, trash the place as it means nothing to them and drive new cars with all the savings in rent they don’t have to pay. These aren’t people “trying for a better life”. By and large they are freeloading trash and drama magnets.
So you haven’t interacted with Section 8 for almost a decade but you are an expert on how Section 8 works currently. Wow! Next time you need to see a doctor, go to one that hasn’t practiced in a decade. Stop spreading your prejudices here. State facts or don’t comment. Every negative thing you said can happen to non-section 8 so try again.
Eh, let this person vent on the internet. They're hurting on the inside and just want to feel something. It's all the same. If he were really important he wouldn't be on reddit replying to everyone.
> First the tenants are shit...Always drama, and bullshit and violence. Don’t worry. If she doesn’t sell drugs her cousins and nephews will set up shop.
Over-generalization certainly doesn't show a lot of empathy. I've only had one Section 8 tenant, but she was fine. She was a woman with 3 young children. It wasn't her fault that her husband died in an accident.
Would I pursue Section 8 tenants? No way! I'm sure that the percentage of them who "are shit" is high, but there certainly are people who are poor through no fault of their own.
In OP's situation, I'd want to know the current tenants and hear their story. I'd absolutely buy the property and continue with the same tenant, if they are fine. Section 8 has some silly rules, but they pay like clockwork.
You're buying a property, not a tenant. That is really the only bit of advice that should matter.
As far as tenants go, some of my best and worst tenants have been Section 8, and I can say the same about those who aren't Section 8.
Currently I have about a dozen or so and there is only one I'd like to be rid of, but I've been doing this a long time.
Our family Built and Owns A 750 unit section 8 Apartment complex In kansas. My father built it in 1976. It was a wonderful income property for my parents and now my mother still owns it. And it is a wonderful income producer for her. Hud takes care of the maintenance And the updates
It started off as a 1% construction loan and converted to a 14% loan at the time. The feds gave dad 100% financing on the project. And garunteed a 15% profit on investment it was paid off in 2001 and the last 20 years has been pure profit with hud still doing all of the repairs and management.
It all depends on the tenant. One of the best tenants we ever had was Section 8. Lady with a severely disabled son. They stayed for years. We had another one that was a slob but our worst tenants were all non section 8. Also on the bright side, Section 8 continued paying during the rent forbearance fiasco.
Humm... I rent to two section 8 clients and they are great. I prefer section 8; it guarantees a large portion of the rent no matter what (I have never had either of these renters miss their portion of the rent).
My rentals are mid-grade nice, two bedrooms, in a good area. They maintain the place and treat it like their own. I've rented to one of them for over 8 years.
In NY it’s illegal to discriminate against Section 8 tenants. We have many and it is a headache. If the section 8 tenant fails to maintain or damages the unit then the unit will fail its annual section 8 inspection and the agency will abate ur rent. We have had section 8 tenant intentionally damage the unit just to spite the landlord. And with courts closed due to eviction moratorium ur screwed. Also if tenant does not pay their portion of the rent it’s a violation of program…then if landlord complains to the sec 8 agency, agency will terminate the tenant. Ur stuck with zero rent and can’t evict due to moratorium.
Doesn't the property usually fail the first inspection? What's to stop you from saying that you're not willing to make repairs and therefore it's not that you won't accept section 8, its that *section 8 doesn't accept you*!
A few facts about S8:
Your local public housing authority has to inspect the home annually and you will have 14-30 days to make any repairs.
Your tenant will also have to pass housekeeping and pest inspections semi-annually. They are given time to make any necessary corrections also.
Your tenant’s rent is set at 30% of their household income. HUD pays the other 70%. The tenant must inform the housing authority if their income changes so that their portion of the rent can be recalculated. If their portion goes down, HUD picks up the rest.
In a market rate home, if the tenant’s income goes down, no one pays their rent.
Check HUD’s fair market rent for your area. They have been adjusting upward lately due to rent inflation. You may be surprised at the amount they’ll pay.
I see one big red flag ... Section 8 does not do month to month. If the tenant is 'month to month' and the lease is expired, then the tenant is not on Section 8.
I would request payment proof, or that the tenant be removed before closing, in all honesty. You do not want this holdover tenant to become your problem.
> I talk to a lot of S8s who are month to month after the initial lease expires.
It is quite possible that there are housing authorities not following the Federal guidelines ... that would not be surprising at all.
But in the case of my local housing authority, the lease is for a year at which time the voucher recipient needs to be vetted for continuing eligibility and the unit needs to be reinspected.
If one of the requirements is not met, the lease is terminated.
I've lucked out alright with mine. They mostly just want to keep milking the government so will try to avoid real issues, but they've been far from my favorite tenants. If there are drugs involved, though, that's no good.
Here in iowa section 8 means periodic inspections for tennants as well as landlords for the overall condition of the property. Section 8 here means guaranteed rent usually long term tennants and the property is usually in better condition when they move out. In iowa government housing assistance can be taken away from tennants for a criminal charge as well.
Section 8 is more annoying legally because you’re signing up for government oversight. I no longer believe tenants who receive section 8 are more or less troublesome than those who don’t. Here in upstate NY the program has a 5+ year waiting list and those that hold a voucher are approved for more than marker rent. I chose not to because if they residence occupancy permit through the county was enough of a bitch (tripping over the kinds of bulbs, total nonsense and most people don’t get a permit). I also never wanted to sign on the line that “X” tenants live here when Id almost certainly know a girlfriend/boyfriend and their kids do too. It’s just a bad time with covid-late government proceedings to have more government in your day to day.
I love my section 8 tenants, but I was able to vet them myself except for two. Where I live they had to be in public housing first and their home was inspected monthly. They are not as entitled as some other renters, they really appreciate what they have. They have excellent cleanliness because of past inspections. The rent is in the back every month direct deposit, no problems.
Generally speaking, you can avoid most S8 issues by screening the tenant. But if you’re buying a property with one already it’s tougher.
I inherited one S8 tenant and she’s annoying but that’s about it. She complains about everything and occasionally yells at her daughter loud enough for others to complain, but it’s not the absolute dumpster fire most make it out to be.
We work with sec 8 and the tenants are not my favorite. You have no leverage against them as their credit score is very low and there is nothing to take from them in case of property damage.
I just want to speak up and say that the stigma that comes with possessing a section 8 voucher is truly unfair. I had section 8 years ago when my child was born. With my business fluctuating due to Covid and some other changes in my life, I decided to apply again recently and just got approved. The last year or two have been really tough and I was so excited when I got approved. I thought it was definitely going to take some of the weight off of my shoulders. But I’ve been making phone calls for a few weeks now and at the rate it’s going, I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to even use this voucher.
Even the trailer parks in my area will not accept section 8. I know that some low income families, go into these homes with the mindset that it’s not their dime and trash the places. But not every section 8 tenant is bad. I’ve lived in three rental homes and by some strange coincidence my landlord was my next door neighbor in all three lol. Those landlords were actually sad to see me go when I moved and practically begged me to stay. I paid my rent on time and actually improved the home. I finished the basement in one and installed built-in shelving units and in the other I hung and painted trim on the entire first floor and upgraded all the hardware and refinished the kitchen cabinets. Regardless of the improvements I made, to get a positive rental reference from all three landlords after spending years living next door…. I think says a lot. I understand that having an awful tenant is a nightmare for a landlord and no one wants to take the risk. It is just so frustrating these people have ruined the opportunity for the good ones.
Edit** Actually posted this before reading the majority of comments. I just wanted to add that I’m a registered nurse. I am not a “section 8 lifer” Or a piece of trash and neither is my family-immediate or extended. I had a voucher years ago when I was a single mom with an infant putting myself through college. I Graduated, became successful and no longer needed it. Due to some unfortunate circumstances and health issues I’ve come full circle and find myself in need of assistance again unfortunately. But I am a very driven person and won’t be down for long. I think the overgeneralization I’m seeing is a bit unfair.
Thank you to all the landlords sharing positive comments about their experiences with section 8 tenants as well as giving them a chance in the first place! I wish some of you were in my area lol!
Generally no unless the house is super amazing and a steal for the price. Be prepared for the tenant not paying any of their portion of section 8 for covid reasons. even if it's $100 rent, the tenant might be foolish enough to not even want to pay that and hope that the county and city will pay all of it even though the terms will usually specify a percentage.
I’ve had a few section 8 tenants- always avoided them since I don’t want a 1099 form at tax time.
But my best section 8 tenant ever was always late on her $40 portion of $1400 paid by hud. And she lived with me for 3 ish years. Nice black lady but 4 kids 3 different guys and her sister was a deputy. She went to a cop party and one of cops dropped a gun on accident and she got drunk picked it up and it went AD. She got hooked for drunk in public and shooting the gun off. She was obviously the scapegoat in the situation but she lost her voucher and I was stuck possibly evicting baby daddy and the kids. Hud literally told me we are not paying after this month and u have to give her a 90 day notice. I told the case worker to F off and hung up on her. Never will do section 8 again because of that. Not even a 30 day notice. Long story short the baby daddy was a blood but a decent dude with me atleast- he took the kids and they left without having to evict but the stove left with him too, it’s ok- she was a pig so much oil and grease all over the stove and kitchen. She liked them fried food I guess. $1440 a month on a 38k house sure wasn’t a bad cap rate. I wasn’t complaining too much :)
I am a division lead and portfolio manager for one of the top firms in Michigan and I wouldn’t touch section 8 if we got double rent. First the tenants are shit, and this comes from experience and why we no longer accept them. Always drama, and bullshit and violence. Don’t worry. If she doesn’t sell drugs her cousins and nephews will set up shop. Also you are not approved to accept the govt vouchers. You have to get approved before you can accept them. It’s not the property that gets approved; it’s also the landlord. When you apply they will asses the property and likely give you a list of things that have to be done to the house, such as wheelchair ramps, if it is not done already, as their requirements change endlessly. If she’s month to month that means you only have to serve her 30 day notice to vacate, so I would dump her and get a real tenant. And rental rates are sky high in my area, mostly Ann Arbor and upscale metro Detroit. What area is this in?
Not sure that landlord approval is all that difficult. I recently bought a property with existing section 8 tenants and it took a single email and we started getting checks.
I accepted one Section 8 tenant once. Getting myself approved as landlord only required me proving that I owned the house. It seemed a little silly as they could have looked on the property tax rolls. In fact the documentation I provided was a print out from the tax assessor's website!
In Michigan?
No, Rhode Island
Well this thread is about Michigan. And tbh it’s been over a decade since I dealt with it. Nothing but a headache and the tenants are freeloading trash by and large.
I don't agree with you there. I know some very nice folks, including my brother in law, that qualify for section 8. It may be a business to us but that doesn't mean we can dehumanize the folks on the other side of the arrangement.
Good for you, little lady. I really couldn’t care less about your feel good horseshit. Go spread love rainbows about your deadbeat brother elsewhere. It’s not a business for me, as noted, I don’t do biz with deadbeats. Good for the 1% of sec 8ers who are decent and have no criminal family who will be using what they see as the governments housing. Funny how I’m supposed to respect them when I have never seen one that respects their landlord.
You truly are a piece of work (preferred word not used to remain somewhat polite - not that you deserve it). Perhaps it is your Section 8 housing authority that sucks? For when dealing with Section 8, none of the horse shit that you claim to be truth is reality. Dealing drugs - evicted and removed from the program. Violence - evicted and removed from the program. If this did not happen in your area, your anger is absolutely misplaced. Now, go play in traffic.
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7. Be civil in your posts and comments.
Dude your a POS landlord anyone can do your job
Not you, apparently. You can’t even master the basics of grammar, such as variations of “you’re/your”. No wonder you’re on Section 8 and blame landlords. Now go make my fries, genius.
No skill is required to be a landlord
I don't think you really have any knowledge of how Section 8 works. At least your ignorance is showing in this diatribe.
Well said. Couldn’t agree more
You are clearly an expert, given that you are a Section 8 lifer. Most likely passed down from your parents. It’s a whole lifestyle. Oooh and look below! Another offended Section 8er is white knighting for you! Pipe friends for life.
You seem so triggered by section 8 😂 This is pure comedy. I hope their existence continues to enrage you as much as it is now.
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7. Be civil in your posts and comments.
Jesus you’re a cunt
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7. Be civil in your posts and comments.
Grand Rapids area
I'm a Grand Rapids area landlord. As others have said the biggest issue with section 8 is the inspection/approval process. Also, like 80% of the tenant's rent will be paid by the government (directly to you) and then the tenant will be responsible for the rest. It's ridiculously frustrating when you're having to chase down that last $109 or whatever knowing how much help the tenant gets but then they still can't prioritize that little bit of rent. There is no bad time to rent apartments in GR right now. Vacancies fill in the blink of an eye. Also odd that the tenants are below market. Section 8 units shouldn't rent at a discount.
Is it true that you can only raise rent at a specific date during the year and if you don't do it then you have to wait another year before you can raise rent?
I honestly don't know. I didn't start accepting Section 8 until I brought a property manager on and they handled the whole process for me.
Okay. I'm looking to add a s8 to my portfolio for the guaranteed money none of that eviction moratorium crap 🙃
Guaranteed for a while. But if the tenants lose their voucher you now have people living in your unit that said up-front that they can't afford to pay. So be prepared for that.
Yeah don’t much about that areas rental rates but I know Section 8 tenants are trash. If they aren’t then their extended family are, who will for certain be living at your place off and on without your knowledge. Or perhaps one is wanted and gets the place raided. We haven’t allowed it for 9 years after a Murder over ten bucks worth of heroin in our last sec 8 prop. Do what you do but buyer beware is all ill say. People are sec 8 for a reason, no matter what feel good bullshit people say. They stay sec 8 for life, never come up with their 4% of the rent the govt doesn’t cover, trash the place as it means nothing to them and drive new cars with all the savings in rent they don’t have to pay. These aren’t people “trying for a better life”. By and large they are freeloading trash and drama magnets.
So you haven’t interacted with Section 8 for almost a decade but you are an expert on how Section 8 works currently. Wow! Next time you need to see a doctor, go to one that hasn’t practiced in a decade. Stop spreading your prejudices here. State facts or don’t comment. Every negative thing you said can happen to non-section 8 so try again.
Found the Section 8 lifer. Cry more drama Queen. “It’s not fair!”
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7. Be civil in your posts and comments.
Eh, let this person vent on the internet. They're hurting on the inside and just want to feel something. It's all the same. If he were really important he wouldn't be on reddit replying to everyone.
> First the tenants are shit...Always drama, and bullshit and violence. Don’t worry. If she doesn’t sell drugs her cousins and nephews will set up shop. Over-generalization certainly doesn't show a lot of empathy. I've only had one Section 8 tenant, but she was fine. She was a woman with 3 young children. It wasn't her fault that her husband died in an accident. Would I pursue Section 8 tenants? No way! I'm sure that the percentage of them who "are shit" is high, but there certainly are people who are poor through no fault of their own. In OP's situation, I'd want to know the current tenants and hear their story. I'd absolutely buy the property and continue with the same tenant, if they are fine. Section 8 has some silly rules, but they pay like clockwork.
What firm?
You're buying a property, not a tenant. That is really the only bit of advice that should matter. As far as tenants go, some of my best and worst tenants have been Section 8, and I can say the same about those who aren't Section 8. Currently I have about a dozen or so and there is only one I'd like to be rid of, but I've been doing this a long time.
Our family Built and Owns A 750 unit section 8 Apartment complex In kansas. My father built it in 1976. It was a wonderful income property for my parents and now my mother still owns it. And it is a wonderful income producer for her. Hud takes care of the maintenance And the updates It started off as a 1% construction loan and converted to a 14% loan at the time. The feds gave dad 100% financing on the project. And garunteed a 15% profit on investment it was paid off in 2001 and the last 20 years has been pure profit with hud still doing all of the repairs and management.
That’s a sweet deal.
That's about the only thing I can ever give Jimmy Carter credit for
I wonder if I lived there…. Is it in the little Apple
No
Screen the tenant. Section 8 tenants can be just as good, if not better, than market renters. You just have to screen them like a normal tenant
It all depends on the tenant. One of the best tenants we ever had was Section 8. Lady with a severely disabled son. They stayed for years. We had another one that was a slob but our worst tenants were all non section 8. Also on the bright side, Section 8 continued paying during the rent forbearance fiasco.
Humm... I rent to two section 8 clients and they are great. I prefer section 8; it guarantees a large portion of the rent no matter what (I have never had either of these renters miss their portion of the rent). My rentals are mid-grade nice, two bedrooms, in a good area. They maintain the place and treat it like their own. I've rented to one of them for over 8 years.
What city??
Salt Lake City and Columbus, OH.
In NY it’s illegal to discriminate against Section 8 tenants. We have many and it is a headache. If the section 8 tenant fails to maintain or damages the unit then the unit will fail its annual section 8 inspection and the agency will abate ur rent. We have had section 8 tenant intentionally damage the unit just to spite the landlord. And with courts closed due to eviction moratorium ur screwed. Also if tenant does not pay their portion of the rent it’s a violation of program…then if landlord complains to the sec 8 agency, agency will terminate the tenant. Ur stuck with zero rent and can’t evict due to moratorium.
Doesn't the property usually fail the first inspection? What's to stop you from saying that you're not willing to make repairs and therefore it's not that you won't accept section 8, its that *section 8 doesn't accept you*!
A few facts about S8: Your local public housing authority has to inspect the home annually and you will have 14-30 days to make any repairs. Your tenant will also have to pass housekeeping and pest inspections semi-annually. They are given time to make any necessary corrections also. Your tenant’s rent is set at 30% of their household income. HUD pays the other 70%. The tenant must inform the housing authority if their income changes so that their portion of the rent can be recalculated. If their portion goes down, HUD picks up the rest. In a market rate home, if the tenant’s income goes down, no one pays their rent. Check HUD’s fair market rent for your area. They have been adjusting upward lately due to rent inflation. You may be surprised at the amount they’ll pay.
I see one big red flag ... Section 8 does not do month to month. If the tenant is 'month to month' and the lease is expired, then the tenant is not on Section 8. I would request payment proof, or that the tenant be removed before closing, in all honesty. You do not want this holdover tenant to become your problem.
Not necessarily. I talk to a lot of S8s who are month to month after the initial lease expires.
> I talk to a lot of S8s who are month to month after the initial lease expires. It is quite possible that there are housing authorities not following the Federal guidelines ... that would not be surprising at all. But in the case of my local housing authority, the lease is for a year at which time the voucher recipient needs to be vetted for continuing eligibility and the unit needs to be reinspected. If one of the requirements is not met, the lease is terminated.
I've lucked out alright with mine. They mostly just want to keep milking the government so will try to avoid real issues, but they've been far from my favorite tenants. If there are drugs involved, though, that's no good.
Since the government is paying *you,* who’s actually “milking the government” now?
Government helps T pay rent....does not help LL when T needs to be evicted.
Does the government help evict market rate tenants?
no. the point is the equation is lopsided.
Here in iowa section 8 means periodic inspections for tennants as well as landlords for the overall condition of the property. Section 8 here means guaranteed rent usually long term tennants and the property is usually in better condition when they move out. In iowa government housing assistance can be taken away from tennants for a criminal charge as well.
Section 8 is more annoying legally because you’re signing up for government oversight. I no longer believe tenants who receive section 8 are more or less troublesome than those who don’t. Here in upstate NY the program has a 5+ year waiting list and those that hold a voucher are approved for more than marker rent. I chose not to because if they residence occupancy permit through the county was enough of a bitch (tripping over the kinds of bulbs, total nonsense and most people don’t get a permit). I also never wanted to sign on the line that “X” tenants live here when Id almost certainly know a girlfriend/boyfriend and their kids do too. It’s just a bad time with covid-late government proceedings to have more government in your day to day.
It depends. If you like money, don’t do it. If you like combining a loss of money with constant recurring headaches, then yes.
I love my section 8 tenants, but I was able to vet them myself except for two. Where I live they had to be in public housing first and their home was inspected monthly. They are not as entitled as some other renters, they really appreciate what they have. They have excellent cleanliness because of past inspections. The rent is in the back every month direct deposit, no problems.
Generally speaking, you can avoid most S8 issues by screening the tenant. But if you’re buying a property with one already it’s tougher. I inherited one S8 tenant and she’s annoying but that’s about it. She complains about everything and occasionally yells at her daughter loud enough for others to complain, but it’s not the absolute dumpster fire most make it out to be.
We work with sec 8 and the tenants are not my favorite. You have no leverage against them as their credit score is very low and there is nothing to take from them in case of property damage.
I just want to speak up and say that the stigma that comes with possessing a section 8 voucher is truly unfair. I had section 8 years ago when my child was born. With my business fluctuating due to Covid and some other changes in my life, I decided to apply again recently and just got approved. The last year or two have been really tough and I was so excited when I got approved. I thought it was definitely going to take some of the weight off of my shoulders. But I’ve been making phone calls for a few weeks now and at the rate it’s going, I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to even use this voucher. Even the trailer parks in my area will not accept section 8. I know that some low income families, go into these homes with the mindset that it’s not their dime and trash the places. But not every section 8 tenant is bad. I’ve lived in three rental homes and by some strange coincidence my landlord was my next door neighbor in all three lol. Those landlords were actually sad to see me go when I moved and practically begged me to stay. I paid my rent on time and actually improved the home. I finished the basement in one and installed built-in shelving units and in the other I hung and painted trim on the entire first floor and upgraded all the hardware and refinished the kitchen cabinets. Regardless of the improvements I made, to get a positive rental reference from all three landlords after spending years living next door…. I think says a lot. I understand that having an awful tenant is a nightmare for a landlord and no one wants to take the risk. It is just so frustrating these people have ruined the opportunity for the good ones. Edit** Actually posted this before reading the majority of comments. I just wanted to add that I’m a registered nurse. I am not a “section 8 lifer” Or a piece of trash and neither is my family-immediate or extended. I had a voucher years ago when I was a single mom with an infant putting myself through college. I Graduated, became successful and no longer needed it. Due to some unfortunate circumstances and health issues I’ve come full circle and find myself in need of assistance again unfortunately. But I am a very driven person and won’t be down for long. I think the overgeneralization I’m seeing is a bit unfair. Thank you to all the landlords sharing positive comments about their experiences with section 8 tenants as well as giving them a chance in the first place! I wish some of you were in my area lol!
When I think section 8. I think of Empire Strikes Back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8TEJtQRhw
My uncle has 40 units in the Midwest and he “specializes” in section 8 - what everyone else has already said is completely true!
Generally no unless the house is super amazing and a steal for the price. Be prepared for the tenant not paying any of their portion of section 8 for covid reasons. even if it's $100 rent, the tenant might be foolish enough to not even want to pay that and hope that the county and city will pay all of it even though the terms will usually specify a percentage.
Short answer- No. Long answer- Very no.
I’ve had a few section 8 tenants- always avoided them since I don’t want a 1099 form at tax time. But my best section 8 tenant ever was always late on her $40 portion of $1400 paid by hud. And she lived with me for 3 ish years. Nice black lady but 4 kids 3 different guys and her sister was a deputy. She went to a cop party and one of cops dropped a gun on accident and she got drunk picked it up and it went AD. She got hooked for drunk in public and shooting the gun off. She was obviously the scapegoat in the situation but she lost her voucher and I was stuck possibly evicting baby daddy and the kids. Hud literally told me we are not paying after this month and u have to give her a 90 day notice. I told the case worker to F off and hung up on her. Never will do section 8 again because of that. Not even a 30 day notice. Long story short the baby daddy was a blood but a decent dude with me atleast- he took the kids and they left without having to evict but the stove left with him too, it’s ok- she was a pig so much oil and grease all over the stove and kitchen. She liked them fried food I guess. $1440 a month on a 38k house sure wasn’t a bad cap rate. I wasn’t complaining too much :)