You really need to read the Housing Assistance Payments Contract and see exactly what rights you are giving up. Example: Section 6 d. The owner must give the PHA any information requested by the PHA on rents charged by the owner for other units in the premises or elsewhere.Section 7 a3. the PHA shall not be obligated to pay any late payment penalty if HUD determines that late payment by the PHA is due to factors beyond the PHA’s controlSection 11 b & c The PHA, HUD and the Comptroller General of theUnited States shall have full and free access to thecontract unit and the premises, and to all accounts and other records of the owner that are relevant to the HAPcontract, including the right to examine or audit the records and to make copies.The owner must grant such access to computerized or other electronic records, and to any computers, equipmentor facilities containing such records, and must provide any information or assistance needed to accessthe records.That last part is a deal killer for us and we would never agree to allow that kind of access to our business records. Just carefully read and fully understand what you are signing and agreeing to.

@Chris Jackson,all real estate is local and some of the HA (Housing Authority) are very local then others.-i would contact the local HA-use gosection8.com to check competition-screen them like regular tenants-look for long-termyou do not apply for section8! you apply to get certified/approved to provide housing to section8.if a regular tenant appears quicker (first come, first serve) then.....banks may or may not provide mortgages for low income rentals, BUT i would check all local banks first (community initiatives, yada,yada)this usually works for more then 10-20 properties.also do not think of them as low; these days they have choicesnow learning:-BP Blogs-BP search 1-BP search2

No, you don't have to only rent to section 8 tenants. I suggest making an appointment at the local housing authority and have them explain the program to you. They are always hurting for landlords who accept section 8, so they should be happy to see you and to explain the program to you.

If you’re familiar with Baltimore, you can utilize section 8 in the city or in the county....I have one in Essex and my sister has a condo in Perry Hall, both county, both have Section 8 tenants. Take a look at Julianne’s post above, explains how to go through the process or you can find a property manager with experience in Section 8I’d recommend using it in B or C class areas. D class brings its own issues and challenges.

I have worked for section 8 for 7yrs...please let me know if you have questions! I can be of great help on the process and policies.

@chris Jackson I've had only good experiences with Sec 8 in Chicago and Baltimore. You first need to garner interest from sec 8 tenants who have a sec 8 voucher. Post your property on GoSection8.com, Craigslist, Zillow, etc. and you will be contacted by tenants who have vouchers of Sec 8. Once you submit their moving papers to the Sec 8 authority (I don't know the name of any where you live, but in Chicago it's CHA, HACC, etc), their paperwork will designate how to submit, they will set up an inspection and give you a list of items to fix (typically if the unit is newer, you won't have many items to fix). They will come back and re-inspect once you fixed the items on the list, and they will approve or amend your rental amount. Then the tenant is approved for move-in. In Chicago inspections are once a year to keep the tenant in place. Contact me if you want any more specifics, I have over 18 Sec 8 units and have been in this program for a few years. @Chris Jackson

@Julianne C. Thank you, Julianne! It’s very helpful! I will stay in touch.

also there are the 2 books, section 8 bible.remember, the authors had 300 properties in very low income areas.may not apply today and/or in your area.again, today, they may have choices

Forgot after reading the comments. You would screen the application like any potential tenant. In OR, you can't use the Sec 8 voucher ONLY to turn them down.

"how to get certified for section 8 housing"Am confused, I"m a commercial broker in OR and do LIH.Does the property have a recorded use/income restriction (word of advice try to get a title report before)?If not, Sec 8 is just the program that funds tenant vouchers. If you don't have an income-restriction, in Oregon, a Sec 8 voucher is like income and you can't deny them for source of funding.With Sec 8, the caseworker will need to OK rent paid and voucher amount, but they know they need to be close to market if there are no recorded restrictions. You get the EFT on the Sec 8 payment on the 1st and then the tenant owes you the co-pay (if any). Depending on the housing authority, you may get an inspection of the unit before move-in, then usually they'll inspect for cause (i.e. tenant complaint to them).

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Updated over 4 years ago, 06/17/2020

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Posts: 23
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Chris JacksonPoster

Investor
Chambersburg, PA

General Landlording & Rental Properties

Section 8?

Chris JacksonPoster

Investor
Chambersburg, PA

Posted May 23, 2016 02:21

Hey BP. I am about to acquire and fix up a downtown rental in a low income part of town. Could anybody give me advice on how to get certified for section 8 housing, and if there are any pitfalls I should watch for? If I apply for section 8, for example, do I Have to rent only to section 8 at that point?

Is it more difficult to get mortgages on these sorts of properties? Or easier?

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