Sec 8 rent thousand dollars below voucher standard

[Sudeep Jain]

I recently bought a triplex in Oakland, and inherited a sec 8 tenant. The rent this tenant is paying is far below the voucher standard. The voucher standard itself is a little bit over the rents for the neighborhood. What is the best approach to bring the rent this tenant is paying more into line with the market rents?  

Provide the HA with comps in the neighborhood and ask for an increase? I am not sure this strategy will work as the rent is nearly a thousand dollars below the voucher standard.

Improve the features in the apartment such as access to garage, newer kitchen cabinets, floors etc.? and ask for a rent increase based on the improvements to the apartment?  

Help the tenant move to a different place and bring the unit to market rents? 

So far, my dealings with the HA have been far from smooth. For instance, they still have not processed the transfer of ownership nearly two months after I sent the required documents. They havent paid me the rent for December. In theory, the HA is supposed to pay market rents, but I am not sure how this policy works in reality. If someone has any experience dealing with the Oakland HA, can you please advise?  

Thank you!

[Account Closed]

“Voucher standard” means nothing in Oakland. The amounts you are seeing on the voucher amount website are the OHA max rent amounts. They will pay close to the max in the best neighborhoods like Adams Point and Lake Merritt. Expect to see less for East Oakland. 

You can ask for an increase but they will go by what the neighborhood is currently paying. They usually use comps from GoSection8. Start there and print out comps and include in your rent increase request. 

I’ve had them increase an inherited tenant by over $500/month, so it’s possible.