Moral Dilemma with Hurricane Ian

[Mo Maktari]

So as some of you know, there’s a hurricane come this way and I have quite the issue. One of my tenants are supposed to move out 9/30 but since they are Sec 8, the county can’t inspect their new property until the 4th due to the state of emergency in Florida and everything shutting down. Would you charge a daily prorate or be a decent human being and just wait so their not homeless?

[Greg Scott]

What moral dilemma?  Section 8 should be paying you if the resident stays longer because they cannot facilitate the move.

[Mo Maktari]

Quote from @Greg Scott:

What moral dilemma?  Section 8 should be paying you if the resident stays longer because they cannot facilitate the move.

That’s good to know, just wish I could confirm that in the county here but they shut down. Appreciate the input though!

[Greg R.]

I wouldn't put them out on the street. Keep a roof over their head. Hopefully you can get reimbursed from sec 8. But if not, I would personally be happy to sacrifice a weeks worth of rent rather than putting people out on the street for circumstances beyond their control. 

[Mo Maktari]

Quote from @Greg Scott:

What moral dilemma?  Section 8 should be paying you if the resident stays longer because they cannot facilitate the move.

Just talked to the county and since the contract ended. The tenant is 100% responsible for any outstanding days still in the property…I almost just gonna count my loss on the  4 days and have a good conscience

[Travis Timmons]

Agree with @Greg R. - it's just the right thing to do. If you give away 4-10 days of rent, so be it. 

[Logan Stecher]

Quote from @Mo Maktari:

Quote from @Greg Scott:

What moral dilemma?  Section 8 should be paying you if the resident stays longer because they cannot facilitate the move.

Just talked to the county and since the contract ended. The tenant is 100% responsible for any outstanding days still in the property…I almost just gonna count my loss on the  4 days and have a good conscience

 I'm new on the scene, but my hopeful silver lining is that this will help build a good reputation for you. Tenants usually don't speak to one another in regards to a renter's reputation (as far as I am aware), but it may help you within the community in-general.

[Nathan Gesner]

Section 8 pays the rent, so Section 8 should cover these additional days. But that's not the way reality works. It's a bloated government program with no ability to flex.

Tenant will have to pay for these days. If they can't/won't, then you'll have to eat the loss.

[Wesley W.]

You gotta love the common refrain from section 8 fans about how "the government is always good for rent" until they decide the rules don't apply to them and they don't pay.

I'll bet if you decided to prorate your property taxes 4-10 days per annum for any reason they would have a decidedly different opinion on the matter.

[Kevin Sobilo]

@Mo Maktari, if there is a state of emergency, how many days are you being deprived of your property? If they moved out with a state of emergency you likely would not be working on it or showing it anyways. You are not at all disadvantaged by them not leaving on time.

I treat move-in the same way. If the tenant intends to sign the lease on the 1st but then says they can have the money and sign the lease on the 27th, I will give them those few days free because I am not disadvantaged, it starts the landlord/tenant relationship off on a positive and I get the small very advantage of the utilities being switched over sooner. 

[Wendy Man]

I am sure the tenants appreciate it.  You may be able to deduct from security deposit, depending on state laws and such.  

[Patti Robertson]

In my market, if the tenant holds over, SEC 8 pays the rent.  Sometimes they make us submit something agreeing to extend the lease for the holdover period, but most of the time they don't even do that.  I have a tenant right now who we gave notice to leave by June 30 who is STILL in our property.  Don't get me started, but the case worker claims she has never in her life seen more fluky things happen to thwart a tenant from moving.  Our suite for possession has also been thwarted.  Our attorney extended for a week without asking us because the tenant promised she would be out that next week and then our courts were closed due to the treat of storms and flooding.  Thankfully we knew the tenant would be unreliable so we didn't pre-rent it, and thankfully she is SEC 8, because if she wasn't she wouldn't be paying us for all these holdover months.