Participating in Section 8

[Casey Crotty]

Hello all!  I have 13 units, mostly duplexes, and my goal is to increase by another 10 units in 2021.  It appears the COVID pandemic has hit some landlords pretty hard, and I am no exception.  With that in mind, and after reading Dr. Joe's post regarding Section 8, I'm considering two routes: first, applying for some of my units to be Section 8 approved, and second, looking at the commercial space.  For this post I'd like to focus on the Sect. 8 subject.  I've done a bit of reading on it, and there are pros and cons, but frankly it doesn't look like the "cons" are a whole lot different than if you're not accepting Sect. 8.  For example: risk of damage because tenants don't care since they don't own it; "problem" tenants; potential issues selling a building due to the stigma of Sect. 8 tenants.  So, after studying the materials, I'm now turning to the forum for practical advice and experience.  What has your experience been with Sect. 8 tenants?  If you have one piece of advice regarding this path, what would it be?  Any other takeaways?  Many thanks in advance for your time and expertise!