Can you refuse s8,upfront,for these reasons,what do you do? --71.207.xx.xx

--73.65.xxx.xx

--73.103.xxx.xxx

--64.246.xxx.xxx

Demand the same requirements as your other applicants. Credit score of a certain number. No evictions. No judgements. Two months security. Not many Sec 8 will even try to qualify. "Checkers" will go after the low hanging fruit, the uninformed LLs who just reply with "I do not take Sec 8." --73.141.xxx.xxx

Thinking I would just let them apply and fail. Let the voucher holder deal with the office and scheduling. Mean while back at the ranch, I'd be hitting the marketing hard to find a market rent tenant and get them settled. Suddenly I don't have a house to offer. Let THEIR own system fail them. I would not wait around waiting for inspections and negotiating if rent. That's too long. --172.59.xxx.xx

Plenty, Coming soon: BLUE states will derive some sort of paperwork/contract which states that once you've filled out the initial S8 paperwork and start the ball rolling, you can't accept any other market rate tenant even IF the unit fails inspection. This will soon spread to BLUE cities in RED states and then if the current regime continues to rule, the entire country. --64.246.xxx.xxx

Section 8 is pretty fussy here, would it work to have a relatively minor problem that doesn't pass inspection but could be easily fixed? Letting the applicant that we have a unit but unfortunately it wont pass sect 8 inspection. --73.159.xxx.xxx

Interesting. Following. --172.59.xxx.xxx

Easy-peasy. --198.168.xx.xxx

They were surprisingly close to market --173.63.xx.xxx

In NY i cant deny section 8 and i cant fail an inspection to get around it,i answer yes of course we take section 8,that takes the wind out of there sails,it seems like they want to fight more than they want a unit.I do 2 things, I say have your caseworker call me and i stop leading the conversation which leads to an awkward pause and they say ok and hang up,i never hear from the caseworker --74.77.xx.xx

Here in our county we have to consider S8 applicants, and we do so. They get screened and are subjected to the same requirements as all others. Fortunately, our local S8 office is landlord friendly and works quickly on processes, including inspections. We participate because they are supportive and efficient. After 10 years of participation on the program we have been pleased with our S8 tenants. However, we do screen robustly and not all S8 applicants qualify. --71.198.xxx.xxx

Section 8, if you are reading this, perhaps a better way might be to get the tenants in a place, do maintenance inspections AFTER tenant is in, AND give landlords an incentive to pass the first time. You could call it First-time Pass Incentive, or come up with some clever name. Ten, twenty, forty buck a month extra if the house passes first time. ( I'm easily motivated, just the challenge would get me going. ) Then re-inspect, oh, maybe annually, to see if the house keeps that incentive. And, while you are at it, Section 8, how about some sort of incentive for tenants with the goal of education tenants to proper care and cleaning of a house? Groom Section 8 tenants to become future homeowners. ( talking to Section 8 agencies). --72.135.xxx.xx

Busy, having WORKED for an HA in the S8 program, I can tell you they are NOT interested in making tenants better nor steering them toward home ownership. They would be out of a job if they did that. No, they make the most money by continuing to facilitate horrid tenants. Typical gov't business plan. --64.246.xxx.xxx

Busy, you are talking like a productive member of the private sector,i doubt anyone at section 8 would think any of that is a good idea --74.77.xx.xx

Oh, I get that! --72.135.xxx.xx

--76.138.xxx.xxx

Phil, you still paid for it, just with money prior to hitting your wallet. --107.147.xx.xxx

They do that and I might think about it a little more seriously. Not for my good houses, but I might think about buying some cheaper junkers and putting Section 8 into those. --76.178.xxx.xxx

Thanks for the good answers. I know a lot of people just say ignore it or whatever but my question is if you can't ignore it can they really make you take it off the market to wait 3 weeks to find out that the tenant does not qualify or that the house doesn't pass inspection? How do you get away without taking it off the market I mean I make a commitment to wait for Section 8 and wait a couple weeks then I do that, I take it some of you just don't so how do you not take it off the market --172.56.xxx.xxx

Thanks for the good answers. I know a lot of people just say ignore it or whatever but my question is if you can't ignore it can they really make you take it off the market to wait 3 weeks to find out that the tenant does not qualify or that the house doesn't pass inspection? How do you get away without taking it off the market I mean I make a commitment to wait for Section 8 and wait a couple weeks then I do that, I take it some of you just don't so how do you not take it off the market --172.56.xxx.xxx

Thanks for the good answers. I know a lot of people just say ignore it or whatever but my question is if you can't ignore it can they really make you take it off the market to wait 3 weeks to find out that the tenant does not qualify or that the house doesn't pass inspection? How do you get away without taking it off the market I mean I make a commitment to wait for Section 8 and wait a couple weeks then I do that, I take it some of you just don't so how do you not take it off the market --172.56.xxx.xxx

OrganWood... Our office has recently added such a benefit. Up to $3k. There are some rules and stipulations but overall I'm guessing they are trying such as a test. It's not for everyone and it for a limited time --172.59.xxx.xx

Jason, I dont see how they can make me take it off the market for a maybe, i treat everyone the same so that means it is on the market till someone gives me money which means they havent committed until after the inspection is complete and they pay me, i will fill the unit before that. --74.77.xx.xx

I was told that when you take Section 8 that you have to sign one of their contracts. Is that accurate? If so, my question is how can the government make me sign one of their contracts if I don't want to sign it? --99.165.xx.xxx

If can find a market rent tenants than rent where why bother with delays. It is difficult to prove discrimination when rental house or rental unit is rented. Most jurisdictions vacancy rates are really low or none at all where rentals come up on and off. Be sure to run thorough credit checks on all adult applicants. Ask for three pieces of photo copied identity to avoid the one letter change in surname. Discrimination is based on income, ethnic background, sexual orientation where had said she was going to take me to the human rights tribunal as this was market rent unit where on the credit check there was unpaid cell phone bills and cable bill where that already set precedent on how rent is going to be paid. Unpaid utility bills and unpaid rent goes hand in hand together. In the province of Ontario it is minimum credit score of 700 or above or you keep looking. In the end would offer rental unit if rent came directly from social assistance where she called back or took me to the human rights tribunal. What section 8 needs to understand is there no compensation for leaving rentals vacant as this costing money. A business is not a social operation end of story. Oh I lost my birth certificate which is a complete lie. Go to the government office then come back later. Never called or came back On line credit reports where only have to sign up for utilities. It is better to have separate utilities as governments want all inclusive so that makes rentals less feasible to subsidy rentals. --207.236.xxx.xxx

Had one peep say she didn't need to pay her portion. To which I said "If you want to put your S8 certificate at risk ... go ahead. Don't pay." She ran to the bank the next day. --198.168.xx.xxx

If you set this standard on the unit, it has to be applied evenly. --24.101.xxx.xxx

Gene (OH) - yes you have to sign their contract--but you can use YOUR rental agreement ( as long as it is valid and doesn't have anything illegal in it) Contract just says you agree to keep the rental in a habitable condition bla bla bla... notify the local section 8 authority of rent increase or and copy of any notice to tenant etc .NOT a big deal --76.138.xxx.xxx

I don't court S8 tenants ( some landlords do), but I don't deny them either. --76.138.xxx.xxx

I used to work for S8 and part of my job was going through LL's RAs and pointing out what they COULDN'T do according to the HAP contact. I can tell you that the HAP contact puts LLs at a disadvantage. Most HAs treat the LL as the enemy, not a biz partner. --64.246.xxx.xxx

--24.2.xxx.xxx