Section 8 Landlords - Please Advise

[Thomas Visaggio]

I just finished renovation on a 2 family property in Newark, NJ and posted up the vacant unit for rent. I received an application from a qualified section 8 tenant (receive assistance from city of newark) and approved them. They gave notice to their current landlord and must be out of their current residence by January 6 2020.

I setup the seciton 8 inspection for earliest possible date December 30 2019, and there were a few minor things that needed to be done such as smoke/carbon installs, window lock repairs, basement pipe leaks, etc. These repairs will be done immediately but it is very unlikely the inspection will be schedule by/before January 6th (when the tenant needs to leave their current residence). They are going to pay 70% of rent and section 8 will cover the remaining 30%.

Has anyone ever allowed a section 8 tenant to move in before passing the inspection? I believe all that will happen is I will need to forgo the 30% of rent from section 8 UNTIL I pass inspection, but can LEGALLY collect the 70% of rent from tenant in the meantime until I secure inspection. I would like to get landlords thoughts on this. Am I putting myself in a risky situation here?

[Victor Avelino]

@Thomas Visaggio

Hi.. I would never move in section 8 tenants without section 8 completing the inspection. You'll put your self at risk with section 8.

Section 8 may say that you rented an unsafe appartment and might require you to return the rent money back to the tenants.

Hope it works out, it's a sad situation for the tenants but they can always request and pay two more weeks to their current landlord because they don't have nowhere to go.