All Forum Posts by: Bradley Bogdan

@Graham Mink As a mental health clinician who is often canvassing landlords to find rentals for clients with various challenges, I seriously doubt you'd be sued. As disappointed as most folks in such a position can be when a landlord denies a client, there isn't much incentive to sue, as we still have to house folks and build good relationships in the community. 

If the rent level seems attractive to you, ask to screen the tenant in person and ask for references from places the person has stayed in the past, as I doubt they would have the usual attractive application. Ask if the person will have ongoing support outside of just rent assistance, what the process will be if the tenant turns out to not be suitable for the unit (ie will they help relocate them), and what special accommodations, if any, the person will need. If all of that checks out, I would feel comfortable renting to this person. Frankly, the exact diagnosis wouldn't do you much good even if it weren't awkward to ask, as mental health diagnoses aren't at all an exact science, the rest of the details matter much more as to whether the person will be a good tenant.

As for a direct answer as to whether mental health issues put you into a protected class, I'm guessing if they have a case manager, they're probably considered disabled by Social Security or some other gov't definition. Therefore, you can't deny based on a disability. Like I said before, though, if you explain that they don't meet the minimum criteria you set for all tenants and you're not able to rent for that reason, you're definitely not going to be sued. 

@Account Closed Baltimore inspectors must be rather picky, most landlords I know (all in other areas, not Baltimore) with a good number of Section 8 tenants end up breezing through most inspections after the first few. That's a shame, as it doesn't help anyone to keep the tenant and landlord on hold for an extra week or two unless there's a real issue. 

I'll echo what others have said about using what language is in your lease about keeping the premises neat and orderly, which clearly shopping carts are not. Have a conversation, if that doesn't go anywhere, issue whatever fix or quit notice is appropriate in your area and notify the PHA. Most PHAs aren't hands on enough to do much other than send a threatening letter in this kind of situation, but yours might do more. If things continue to not improve, remind him that eviction proceedings will also terminate his voucher and then follow through. 

Judging by the pictures, that looks much more like scrapping fueled by some mental health or addiction related drive rather than outright theft. It looks like mostly items you would pick out of a dumpster or alley, shopping carts included. I've had a lot of experience with homeless and formerly homeless folks, so I speak from experience. The police wouldn't likely do anything other than be a bit annoyed you called, unless items that look like they have some value started popping up (other than shopping carts). 

If the rent is still on time (ie the guy has a payee or is religious about paying), consider referring him to your county mental health/addictions/adult protective services/his payee, depending on whats going on. A 5 minute phone call by you could save the tenancy, if its a tenant/payment stream you'd like to keep.  

Thanks for the article @Joshua Dorkin . I've seen organizations make big plays to snap up domains in other business areas, and yet have never actually visited a business site with one other than .com (unless they were a foreign site with their own national domain). Probably not a big deal, but I totally agree, for-profit businesses will always strive for a monopoly. 

Hi @David A. and welcome! 

It sounds like you've put some good thought into a strategy and location. I would continue to put effort into knowing the area you plan on moving back to in CT, studying rents, values, what local BPers are talking about, etc. It will give you the best opportunity to get rolling when you get back with the smallest learning curve. From there, you can look into either the FHA 203 (Buy and Rehab) loan, or just a regular FHA loan if you're willing to live on premise, which should allow you to get started for close to what you'll have saved.

Seeing as you're into the non-profit world, it seems participating in a program such as Section 8 or HUDVASH would be right up your alley. To take it a step farther, you could pursue a relationship with your local housing related non-profits and perhaps develop a niche for serving low income renters with a constant stream of referrals from the agencies, and usually some financial backing from their rapid rehousing programs or similar aids. 

Anyway, welcome again and keep us up to date about your journey!

 You can definitely mix a building with Section 8 and non-susidized tenants. No question. I do think you're right to worry about the basement apartment not meeting egress requirements for Section 8, and possibly local building code. Definitely check on both.

 A couple quick notes: Your relief valve pipe need not be metal, it just can't be regular PVC. It must be the CPVC grade stuff. There need not be a fire extinguisher in the unit, but as with most things for Section 8, if its there, it has to work (ie not in the red), even if its not a required item. 

@Eric Belgau Totally agree about the blind eye, "I didn't know" approach. Landlords around here get away with it, as there are plenty that really don't know, but not an approach I would use myself. Everyone has their own approach to managing risk though!

I haven't grown, nor do I partake, but living where I do, about half of my coworkers have been "in the industry" as their primary profession at some point in the last ten years. They have provided me a wealth of stories and knowledge about their former careers, including some of indoor grows v. outdoor/outbuilding.

The consensus among my coworkers is that rarely do indoor grows occur in an appropriately zoned/inspected industrial setting. A home will simply not be able to safely carry the load of the best lamps and ventilation for an extended period of time without substantial upgrades. Obviously, one lamp and six plants isn't going to do damage to your rental, but that also won't be enough to sustain a grow. The general contractor/former trimmer I work with is of the opinion that he would never grow inside a house due to the modifications necessary to avoid undue risk. He's of the opinion that its much easier to run appropriate electrical to an out structure through an upgraded box than anything else, which also serves to make ventilation/filtration and moisture concerns much easier. 

What would this boil down to you for your rental? Here's my list of things to check up on:

- Get an answer from your insurance on whether damages would be covered, god forbid

- Get a reference or two from a former landlord or two that let them grow. I'm always amazed that more growers don't have enough cash on hand for a cheap house. I understand that its difficult to document such income (and many are unwilling to pay appropriate taxes), but with enough cash, BP has demonstrated you can make many things happen. 

- Charge the max deposit, perhaps with an extra charge for certain services to be perfomed upon move out (check the rules for your state to make sure that's legal). Obviously, some professional cleaning will likely be needed. 

- Don't lose sleep over the Feds. I live in a designated "Drug trafficking corridor" and the only people that get busted are the super grows on public land, the folks with other warrants, and those doing something stupid/annoying enough to get their neighbor to blow them in, such as stealing the last drops of water from a salmon bearing stream at the height of summer. Ensure that your tenant doesn't fall into those categories and you'll be fine. 

- Make sure all steps are taken to be legal. Obviously, Colorado law is in conflict with federal law, but that doesn't mean permitting and appropriate display of permits, as well as zoning and such, should fall by the wayside. No need to be the guy that stands out from the grow house crowd.

- Consider turning a blind eye. Look into laws in your state regarding such culpability in the event of a fed seizure. I know in California, usually landlords are left alone, though they can have property seized under the law. 

- Inquire as to how processing will be performed. Marijuana doesn't just drop off the plant ready to be smoked. Buds must be trimmed to remove unwanted bits before sale. Unfortunately for our landlord, usually the folks that trim aren't the most savory looking, so considering not allowing any processing on site if you allow a grow.  

Good luck! Let us know what you decide!

@Dawn Anastasi You got me thinking with this discussion, so I spoke to the person who handles the Fair Housing complaints at my local PHA today. She actually says the opposite, that because food stamps aren't counted as a "cash benefit" like SSI, Unemployment, etc., they don't need to be taken into account when it comes to evaluating a tenant. She did caution that discriminating against someone because they receive food stamps would be illegal, but not counting those benefits as income towards your minimum income level for a rental is acceptable, at least on a national basis. With the recent trend of localities enacting "income discrimination" laws concerning Section 8, its possible that localities might decide to enact similar laws regarding food stamp benefits. Perhaps yours already has, hence the different advice.