Accepting Section 8 Vouchers

[Megan Carmody]

I have a townhouse listed for rent and I have gotten several inquiries asking if I accept section 8 vouchers.  As a landlord, is there a requirement or law indicating section 8 vouchers need to be accepted? Or, can I just say no. (I'm new to this section 8 situation.)

[Marc Winter]

Section 8: the program we love to hate.  OK, so as has been correctly said above, check with your state's or local municipality's laws.  Consider instead of simply saying "no" to the voucher, why not qualify the applicant as you would any other?  

As in all groups, there are good and bad tenants in the Sec 8 program.  Frankly, the hoops to jump through with the inspections are very basic, and if you cannot pass their inspections, your unit should be repaired/upgraded.  

Importantly, keep on top of your tenants; as with ALL renters, including Sec 8, inspect the units at least quarterly to catch problems before they become disasters.