Section 8 & Property Manager

[Dayton T.]

I'd like to get some community advice to double check that my property manager is managing my section 8 property in a reasonable way. I bought an occupied unit with a section 8 tenant who was on a month-to-month lease and hadn't ever had a rent increase during their nearly four year tenancy. I've had three interactions with HUD I want to get a second opinion about.

1. As soon as I bought the unit, the PM suggested they could file paperwork to raise the rent, and I asked them to do it. About six weeks later they said the increase was rejected on the grounds that the rent can only be raised on the anniversary month of the tenancy (even though the tenant was on a month-to-month) and we had applied with less than 60 days' notice before that month.

2. For the next year, I made sure to ask my PM to apply for a rent increase well in advance of the deadline. The rent we requested was below the HUD FMR for the area and bedroom count. The rent increase was rejected without explanation.

3. The tenant has now moved out and left behind damage well in excess of their security deposit. My PM says HUD won't reimburse me for the damages and doesn't even want to ask.

Are these typically how interactions with HUD / Section 8 go? I've managed my own tenant before, but not through section 8, so I don't want to jump to any conclusions about whether my PM is making mistakes.

Thanks for any advice!