How to "income qualify" a section 8 tenant?

[Cheryl C.]

What ratio's do you LL's use to qualify a section 8 applicant? I have a prospective tenant with a voucher for $1,575 (the rent amount) and an SSDI income of $908/yr. This person also receives food stamps in an unknown amount.

It seems to me that they don't meet my income ratio's of about 35-40% (meaning that rent should not exceed 35-40% income). If you count the voucher as income, you have 1575 plus 908. About $2,480 in income. Is there a special consideration for section 8? They do not meet my criteria but I haven't had this issue before and don't want to run into any legal issues. They are being extremely persistant about leasing the place.

[Todd Brittingham]

Cheryl,

You're absolutely doing the right checks here. Just because they are section 8 doesn't mean they don't need addtional money for food, utilities, clothing, etc. Utilities can be a big issue if you are in a colder climate and the gas gets turned off in the winter. 3x rent is a good start, and I would include the section 8 money as income to them. Under this guideline they would not qualify...

Also, with our policies, anyone living in the house is a tenant and is put on the lease. There are way more things to consider in the lease other than who is paying the rent. If you live in the house, you need to abide by the lease, and therefore you must sign.