Section 8 in Baltimore City

[David Johnson]

Hey everyone,

I was curious if anyone here has any experience with section 8 rentals in Baltimore City. Specifically, I'm curious how arduous the approval process is and what the common pitfalls are. Most people I've met who have dealt with the Baltimore City government strongly discourage getting involved with them on any level, so I'm bracing myself for the worst, but I wanted to know things like:

1) How long the approval process takes

2) How rigorous the inspection process is

3) How long tenant placement takes

Let me know when you get a chance. 

Thanks!

[Daniel DiGiacomo]

I've been investing in Baltimore for 10 years and have done hundreds of section 8 inspections. Easy to deal with? Probably wouldn't say that. But it's all about building relationships with inspectors down there, getting to know them, and using the system the way that they want it used. 

The thing with Baltimore now is that you have to get a home inspection for a rental whether it's section 8 or not... so if you pass the home inspection, 95% of the time you'll pass the section 8 inspection. 

I can count on 1 hand the number of times I'be had reinspection issues or things took WAY longer than they should have. 

Happy investing!