Question about Section 8 in Durham, NC

[Andreas W.]

Landlords in Durham, NC, I am contemplating to open a property to Section 8 tenants and was wondering how you rate the Durham Housing Authority to work with. I had a section 8, Housing Choice Voucher tenant a bunch of years ago , which was a mixed bag at best. This property has never been part of the program and would have to pass inspection.

[Jonathan Taylor Smith]

@Andreas W. my requirement is "income of at least 3 times rent OR suitable voucher / third party guarantee". When the applicant has an S8 voucher, that effectively takes the place of the income requirement for me, as it is not uncommon for DHA to adjust what they pay versus the tenant share throughout the tenancy as the family income picture changes for better or worse. If the person gets a raise / works more hours or better job the tenant share increases, but if they lose their job or suffer some other financial setback, it goes down and DHA covers the difference. I've had tenants go from paying 3/4 the rent at lease start down to nothing with DHA then paying 100%.

Since I know DHA will pay the entire rent if needed, I'm really not concerned with income (assuming they don't ever lose their voucher). I care far more about length and type of employment, as certain jobs and time on the job may show the person is able to conduct themselves in a manner that makes conflict with me less likely. I care about how they communicate by phone, email and in-person, as communication is key to good landlord / tenant outcome. I care how well they follow directions (I test this in many different ways). I'm also not really concerned about credit score, but if ever evicted it is an automatic denial.