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Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,351 posts, read 8,569,440 times
Reputation: 16698
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I’ve had sec 8 tenants before. The first was an elderly couple and were great. I’ve had several that were younger after that and all resulted in monetary losses that exceeded the rent was collected. No more sec 8 tenants.
I would burn my rentals down before I ever take section 8.
Unfortunately, while you may be telling the truth, way too many of these "down and out elderly" just become the hang out for their idiotic relatives, who all have some sort of issues that create criminal activity and generally tear up the place.
Of course this issue may differ on where you live, here in S. FL, it seems it is just a prolific issue, and I want no part of it.
This is true. I have one like this going on right now. An intellectually and physically disabled person in a very large first floor one bedroom unit. His family treats it as overflow housing, constantly have multiple people staying there, crashing in his unit. And believe me, it's not that they're there as his helpers. We inherited this tenant when we purchased the unit. The rent was WAY below market, but we asked Sec 8 to bring it up to market, and they did. We didn't account for the illegal "guests", however.
I only just now checked back on this thread and wanted to reply to a couple of things folks have brought up -
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxus
I would burn my rentals down before I ever take section 8.
Unfortunately, while you may be telling the truth, way too many of these "down and out elderly" just become the hang out for their idiotic relatives, who all have some sort of issues that create criminal activity and generally tear up the place.
Of course this issue may differ on where you live, here in S. FL, it seems it is just a prolific issue, and I want no part of it.
I'd just like to note that for the sake of discussion, it really doesn't matter if I'm telling the truth (although I am). What matters is if a person like me - a retired librarian who has had to fall back on a housing voucher through no fault of my own - can do anything to convince a LL that I'll be a good tenant. Obviously, this would be a lost cause if I wanted to rent from you.
I must say that I don't view myself as "down and out" just because I became disabled and must now stretch my social security to cover my expenses. Attitude is everything. I am very grateful for my current place in rural Colorado. I have been planting aspen, willow, and fruit trees on this property with my landlady's permission of course. My roommate and I reseeded the lawn last year and my roommate even bought a mower to keep it cut. I'm active in my community and I advocate for others with disabilities in my area.
My relatives mostly live 1500 miles away and are busy with their own lives, and even if they just lived around the block, I wouldn't allow them to come over and trash my home (which they wouldn't, anyhow). Every lease I've ever signed states the number of people - usually one, but this time two since I found a roomie to share expenses. If I break this rule, not only can my landlord evict me, but I would also lose my voucher. Maybe you should move to Colorado!
Quote:
Originally Posted by parentologist
This is true. I have one like this going on right now. An intellectually and physically disabled person in a very large first floor one bedroom unit. His family treats it as overflow housing, constantly have multiple people staying there, crashing in his unit. And believe me, it's not that they're there as his helpers. We inherited this tenant when we purchased the unit. The rent was WAY below market, but we asked Sec 8 to bring it up to market, and they did. We didn't account for the illegal "guests", however.
My question to you is the same one I asked boxus. Surely, these people are breaking the terms of your lease agreement? In your place, I certainly wouldn't renew the lease with these folks when it comes due next. Let the local Housing Authority know that you are planning to do this and explain why. The HA will then send a notice of their own to your problem tenants and have them come in to the office to find a place more amenable to their needs.
Thanks to everyone for your replies - even the negative ones which at least give me an idea of what I'm up against.
I've had section 8 tenants who dealt drugs out of the unit, prostituted their children out of the unit, kept poor pitbulls constantly caged up in the unit (to protect the drugs and cash), caused terrible damage when the SWAT team busted down the front door and their unit door during a raid, and then I had to evict them because they managed to convince Sec 8 that they were living in another apartment somewhere else, when they STILL were occupying my unit, so Sec 8 stopped paying me, even though the housing authority had a year long lease with us. The housing authority's lease always supercedes the LL's lease, but the housing authority doesn't abide by the terms of their own lease! So, months of lost rent, eviction costs, tenants drove everyone else out of the building, tremendous damage.
And after ALL of this - did that person lose her voucher? NO!!!!! She didn't lose her voucher, or her prostituted children, or her liberty - she blamed it on her roommate, who went to prison, but not the voucher holder/parent! It took probably 4 months before we had that property up and running and fully rented again.
I know of an absentee LL who had tenants for whom Sec 8 paid 100% of the rent. Tenants ran (fleeing drug deal gone bad, fearing reprisal) and LL never knew they were gone. 8 months later, housing authority found out, when they resurfaced somewhere demanding subsidy again, that the tenants hadn't been occupying the unit (even though they were still under lease with housing authority, hadn't given notice). The housing authority took back all the rent they'd paid while the unit was unoccupied - which the LL didn't know about - from their payment to him for other units. He had no recourse - what was he gonna do, evict all the other tenants for non-payment of rent? This is what dealing with the housing authorities is like.
Evicting someone, especially a disabled person, because of bad behavior, is almost impossible to achieve in most states. Even straightforward eviction for non-payment of rent takes about 3 months before they're out. Why would I want to open myself up to anything like this again?
As I've said before, were you to apply, I probably would take you. But most LLs just flat out won't. And the LL's who will, you don't want to live in the areas where they have properties. So if you're well-situated, be grateful. If you want to move, save up the maximum security deposit allowed in that state, find out the maximum that Sec 8 will pay in the new area, be ready to transfer your voucher ahead of time, get the paperwork for the LL to do to sign up for Sec 8 LL and fill it out as much as you can for him, and call, explaining up front that Sec 8 will allow an amount for his unit higher than the advertised rent, who you are, that you have great credit, quiet, wonderful, etc. Offer to walk him through the paperwork, as the highly educated professional that you are. And MAYBE he'll bite because it's higher than what he's advertised it for.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to parentologist again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by parentologist
I've had section 8 tenants who dealt drugs out of the unit, prostituted their children out of the unit, kept poor pitbulls constantly caged up in the unit (to protect the drugs and cash), caused terrible damage when the SWAT team busted down the front door and their unit door during a raid, and then I had to evict them because they managed to convince Sec 8 that they were living in another apartment somewhere else, when they STILL were occupying my unit, so Sec 8 stopped paying me, even though the housing authority had a year long lease with us. The housing authority's lease always supercedes the LL's lease, but the housing authority doesn't abide by the terms of their own lease! So, months of lost rent, eviction costs, tenants drove everyone else out of the building, tremendous damage.
OMG! How awful! Not only would an experience like that make me give up on section 8 if I were a landlord, I think that I'd probably get out of the biz completely. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing children used in the sex trade, and I'd probably sneak over one night and rescue them and the pitbulls both! I'm sorry you had to go through a nightmare like that.
Quote:
And after ALL of this - did that person lose her voucher? NO!!!!! She didn't lose her voucher, or her prostituted children, or her liberty - she blamed it on her roommate, who went to prison, but not the voucher holder/parent! It took probably 4 months before we had that property up and running and fully rented again.
I gather from what you have posted here that your local HA is difficult to get in touch with. They are probably understaffed and running on burn-out. There's no way that woman should have kept her voucher - she broke every rule in the book.
Quote:
I know of an absentee LL who had tenants for whom Sec 8 paid 100% of the rent. Tenants ran (fleeing drug deal gone bad, fearing reprisal) and LL never knew they were gone. 8 months later, housing authority found out, when they resurfaced somewhere demanding subsidy again, that the tenants hadn't been occupying the unit (even though they were still under lease with housing authority, hadn't given notice). The housing authority took back all the rent they'd paid while the unit was unoccupied - which the LL didn't know about - from their payment to him for other units. He had no recourse - what was he gonna do, evict all the other tenants for non-payment of rent? This is what dealing with the housing authorities is like.
Now, I have slightly less sympathy for absentee LL's who don't hire a manager or someone to keep an eye on things. My landlady here drives by now and then for a look-see, and I don't mind that a bit - in fact I'm glad she does it since it means she cares about the property, and it's easier to let her know if there are any potential problems.
Quote:
Evicting someone, especially a disabled person, because of bad behavior, is almost impossible to achieve in most states. Even straightforward eviction for non-payment of rent takes about 3 months before they're out. Why would I want to open myself up to anything like this again?
I think the laws regarding the disabled may vary from state to state - not sure. I volunteer for the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, and I have witnessed LL's throwing out disabled folk with apparent ease. One man I was trying to help really should have been placed in a supervised situation. He had brain damage that he was working hard at making worse through high amounts of alcohol supplied by his seedy friends. In the end, I have to say he deserved to be evicted, but he ended up on the streets and died there a few months later. Very sad. One of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.
Quote:
As I've said before, were you to apply, I probably would take you. But most LLs just flat out won't. And the LL's who will, you don't want to live in the areas where they have properties. So if you're well-situated, be grateful. If you want to move, save up the maximum security deposit allowed in that state, find out the maximum that Sec 8 will pay in the new area, be ready to transfer your voucher ahead of time, get the paperwork for the LL to do to sign up for Sec 8 LL and fill it out as much as you can for him, and call, explaining up front that Sec 8 will allow an amount for his unit higher than the advertised rent, who you are, that you have great credit, quiet, wonderful, etc. Offer to walk him through the paperwork, as the highly educated professional that you are. And MAYBE he'll bite because it's higher than what he's advertised it for.
I really thank you for sharing some of your experiences with me. It helps to understand why section 8 gets such a bad rap, and it's not solely about "evil" LL's.
I'm guessing you must live in or near a major urban area? My experiences here in my little town have been very different. The Housing Authority here serves a county of a mere 28,000 souls and my little town (pop 8,000) also has some nice apartments that are managed by a rural version of HUD - USDA's Rural Housing Service. All the units are well kept with green lawns, fresh paint. and appliances all in working order. For a while, I lived in a small apartment that was in a 6 plex administered by our local housing authority. They came by to inspect every week to make sure we were taking care of our small apartments to their specifications. Anyone who was a drug user or even a heavy drinker would be warned and if they didn't clean up their act, they were history in no time flat.
The lady in charge of our local HA goes to the same church that I do, and if I need to see her or ask about something, I can just walk into the office - often without even an appointment. The same is true for LL's with section 8 tenants. When I decided that I wanted a cat for companionship (no pets allowed in the senior complex I was in), she managed to pull some strings and get me a section 8 voucher.
The college/library I used to work at is just 60 miles away and we're all very proud of it - it's a real magnet for the arts, writers, poets - you name it. I feel like I'm waving through my computer screen to you from an entire different world which I guess I am.
I got my current home by word of mouth, and the kindness of the family I rent from is incredible. And this has got to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived - bar none. Thank you for making me appreciate how lucky I am!
I rented to a disabled veteran, and it was terrible. His whole life revolved around gaming the system so he could max out on free stuff. Worst of all, it has a negative impact on veterans, who are actually disabled.
I would say 5000 in escrow as a deposit, and monetary penalties for breaking the rules. Hoarding, grease stains, carpet stains,....
New York State just made source of income a protected class. Some Counties in NY already had it in place.
Another issue is: is the voucher enough for market rent? Here on Long Island it often is not, and in most cases, voucher recipients may not pay the difference or they lose their eligibility for the voucher.
This is true, but it is uniformly not enforced where I am, Central CT. So much so that when I go to look at a building to buy, I'll be handed a rent sheet stating that tenants have Section 8, the allowed rent is, say, $1000/month, and the tenant is paying an additional $200 on top of the allowable! The realtor says she never sees a situation where the tenant is NOT paying above the allowable, under the table.
We won't take it, because it would put us at the mercy of the tenant, but there is NEVER any consequence for the tenant. I've recently had MANY people with 1 or 2 bedroom vouchers calling me about 3 bedroom apartments, saying that they'll just pay me extra, that that is what they do already, and that everyone is fine with it. I'm tempted to take their name and report them, but I know the housing authority won't do a thing.
I'm not in a big city, but there is a lot of underclass in the town in which my rentals are located. Recently, house was cleaned at the extremely unresponsive housing authority (so bad that when a DCF social worker, on the clock, and my spouse walked in, about an extremely difficult to house family in crisis, with a Sec 8 voucher, with children with life-threatening medical issues, being evicted for non-payment of rent after the housing authority had in error jacked up their portion of the rent, they refused to see the DCF worker!). I don't know why, but everyone is gone, new people. Hopefully, they will be more responsive. But they have a very high number of vouchers to manage. Still, the attitude there seemed to be like the DMV - we don't have to work, clients and LLs are scum of the earth, we answer to no one, can we lock the door yet?
Yup, I think you're very lucky to be where you are.
I was offered (and accepted) an apartment in-town. It's with the same HUD company I currently rent from but is one bedroom, whereas I currently have a two bedroom. I do not use the second bedroom, except for storage.
I was apprehensive at first, as it is on the third floor, but there is an elevator, which helps. It's going to be harder buying groceries and getting them to the apartment and I lose my washer and dryer, although there are hook-ups for them there. It does have a laundry room.
Why do it? Because it's a senior complex, the view from the third floor is magnificent and I met a woman who lives in the complex while I was having my taxes done and she's lived there for five years and loved it.
That, more than anything, made me consider it. Plus, there is a bus stop right outside the complex. I don't need it now as I still drive but it's nice to know it's available if I need to take the bus.
I'm looking forward to, and dreading the move. Looking forward to being with other seniors, dreading the packing and unpacking and the actual move.
With the section 8 certificate I will pay $200 less a month and finally be able to save in case my car needs repairs and maybe buy a few needed items. My budget has been so tight I haven't bought anything but essentials.
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