Bought multi-unit with unknown section 8 tenant

[Matthew R.]

Recently bought a multi-unit rental in Minnesota, the price was right and it seemed mismanaged, so there was an opportunity for growth.  Then yesterday in the mail I received a letter from the local housing authority, asking for my bank information and W-9, so they can pay me a section 8 voucher.

My question is, is there anything I can do about this? My primary partner and I have criteria that limits section 8 on our other properties and we do not wish to deal with it.  Are we stuck with the leases we acquired and have to wait until the end of them?

Thanks

[Tim Swierczek]

@Matthew R. No question you are 100% stuck with this lease until it expires. You have no recourse with the tenants.  Technically you could have recourse with the previous owner, but only if you asked for the leases and they omitted the Section 8 portion of the lease.  If you did not ask or they provided it and you missed it then you have no recourse.  At this point, I don't know how much you should care.   They are there and you cannot evict them without cause.  It sounds on the surface that you should suck it up and finish the lease with them and follow all the laws to end the lease when it terms out.  I do not work with Section 8 myself so I don't know if you have any extra requirements to end the lease but I would make sure to find out if I were you.

Good Luck

~Tim