Section 8 Indianapolis, IN

[Isaac Anderson]

Hello. I've been researching and looking for my first property in Indianapolis. I finally found a duplex with 2br/2ba. The numbers look great, it's in a C area, next to a school. I found out that the current tenants are Section 8. I've started doing research on Section 8, and asked my friend who has Detroit Section 8 renters. Obviously there are pros and cons, but I'm hoping for the BP community to chime in with their experience. Side note, I don't live in Indy, but will have a property manager. Thanks for your input.

[Harvey Levin]

@Isaac Anderson   As an Investor, I did my 1st Section 8  tenant in Indy in 1985. Currently, at our Property Management company we manage about 300 Sec 8 voucher holders in houses and doubles. It is important to note that each Public Housing Authority has its own modification on the HUD guidelines so what is true in 1 city may not be true in another. In Indianapolis, the majority of the Inspection regulations coincide with the Marion County Housing Standards. ( I know this because I was involved in the review and modification of the Section 8 standards a few years ago) The difference being the Marion County only inspects based on complaints or noticeable violations and Section 8 (in Indy) does annual inspections. Long term plans along with the Marion County Landlord registration is to implement Occupancy Inspections and those are waived if Section 8 performs the Inspection. I have always seen the annual inspections as positive because the tenants also have to comply with standards and whereas on non-section 8 tenants units the PM may not consider repairing items that are not a major concern at that time. As an investor, I like to keep my properties in top condition, I believe this is we the majority of our tenants in C Class units remain 3 to 5 years with many over 7. The program also forces the Pm to be accountable at a level an Owner will not be able to oversee. However, the paperwork and the time constraints are a very big hassle and anyone who isn't familiar with all the ins and outs will have a problem complying. The good news for the future is that HUD in Washington is working on a more landlord-friendly program. I met with the HUD Section 8 representative in Washinton as a representative for NARPM and I am compiling recommendations for them. Of course, as with all government agencies, the charge will take forever to implement!!