All Forum Posts by: Alexa S.

@Russell Brazil and @Shadonna N., thank you both again.

The third bedroom is 8x9 so it just eeks in as legitimate. It does have a window, closet and door, but I agree its not super spacious. I am not sure if I advertise it as a 2 BR + office if that would make it more desirable since I imagine some people would not find the third bedroom useful. In the past we have advertised both ways.  Opening up the wall between the two smaller rooms has been something we've considered so as to have two larger bedrooms instead of three of varying sizes.

Thank you both for your feedback. We may consider some updates and whether a property manager may be a good idea for us this go round!

@Russell Brazil @Shadonna N. @Nathan Gesner Thank you all for your comments.

The neighborhood limits for the voucher for a 3 bedroom are $3872 without utilities and $4069. I am not trying to rent it out for anywhere near those prices because its not upgraded. (I posted previously to ask about what I should consider updating, if anything, at the next turnover)...It has black appliances and builder basic oak cabinets. We waver on whether to list it as a 2 bedroom or 3- it IS three true bedrooms but the third is quite small and would fit just a twin bed or a desk based on the configuration. But perhaps I need assistance on pricing it. 

We had tried to use a local property management company for leasing the last time it turned over and they said they would agree to just do the leasing but were ok if we didn't need them for ongoing property management.  They later backed out and said they no longer managed leasing without a contract to manage the property...and we just don't need property management. We live close by, the house requires little in the way of repairs (we updated major systems previously and its not that old), and my co-owner is handy and able to make small fixes.

Right now we have it listed on Hotpads/Trulia/Zillow and have just posted it on Nextdoor and Craigslist.

I have a rental that is turning over for the third time. I had tenants for two years and then tenants for 3 years. The house is located in a little pocket right in between two booming neighborhoods- Mt. Vernon Triangle and NoMA, accessible to multiple metro stations, walkable to everything, has laundry, parking, a fenced patio and I feel its generally a pretty awesome unit. The house next door just went under contract for $630k.

Its coming available a month from now and I am finding this time, as in times before, nearly all, if not all, of the interest I am getting is from holders of housing vouchers. From what I understand, getting approved for voucher holders can be a cumbersome process in DC, with several weeks of waiting in between inspections, the inspectors can be total sticklers for things that aren't a big deal otherwise, and I worry that will leave me with vacancy (which may just be a reality in winter anyway). This process is also not something I see myself being able to easily navigate in December due to starting a new job, kids on winter break, the holidays, etc. 

I'm wondering:

1. Can anyone share their experience with the process of getting approved for renting to voucher holders in DC? What were the timelines? Was the process messy? What has your experience been?

2. Why is the only interest in my unit from voucher holders? Do market rate renters all demand amenities and high end finishes in DC?

I'd love any weigh-in from DC folks if you know the area. I am trying to read up on renting to voucher holders (as I see there are many posts on this) but my immediate concern is just not being able to navigate this process in December and worry of vacancy because of it. 
  

@Marian Smith, @Colleen F., @Michael Simolke, @Scott Mac, @Nathan Gesner, @James Mc Ree, @Theresa Harris, @John Underwood, @Anthony Dooley, @Mike McCarthy:

Thank you to each of you who responded to my post. I appreciate the insight and wisdom each of you provided, and the chance to learn from so many of you with much more experience.  Thank you all for weighing in. I'm much less inclined to make any big changes now!

I own one rental right now close to downtown DC. The tenants have said they may start looking for new jobs out of the area in the fall and I'd like to consider a modest kitchen renovation when they go.  The kitchen is fully functioning and in solid shape. But I wonder if some white cabinets and stainless steel appliances would make it more desirable. 

The townhouse is overall in a stellar location within the city, has 2 parking spots, laundry, is walkable to 3 metros and downtown DC, has a sizable patio, a dry storage shed that can fit bikes etc, and features that overall make it a desirable city rental for the right person who doesn't want a building. However, it sits across from where a 6 acre (multiple city blocks) property stood that was known for high levels of crime and I believe that is what has made it very tough to rent out over the last two turnovers. The property has been torn down in the last few months and the land is slated for a major redevelopment so now my hope is that its a bit easier to rent out. But I've been burned by vacancy a few times and would love any insight into whether other investors think a modest renovation is worthwhile to make it more desirable or if I should save my dollars. Comps are a bit tough because its apples and oranges- there are a few small blocks of houses surrounding this one (none currently rentals) and most of the rental units nearby are in high end buildings with amenities.

Also, my plan is to stage it and get professional photos this time around which I didn't previously.

Thank you for any insight!

Thank you. This is helpful. Hopefully you understand that as a landlord, I want to get my unit rented. But I also want to be sure I protect my investment and have a tenant in there who shows supporting evidence that they can also pay utilities and keep up with basic care of the property.  Crossing this territory for the first time is challenging, as there is a lot to understand and we are learning as we go, based on new questions that arise.

Hi Russell, yes, I remember a similar thread where we discussed income cannot be a factor.  That is not the issue. If we have applicants who have other factors that may not be desirable, such as poor credit, I want to find out how I can be protected/what are my rights if I don't select that person. For example, X person who has applied is a voucher holder and that person has guaranteed payment but they have poor credit (or poor job history or no job or a prior eviction notice that might be tough to verify all facts on)- basically the same factors that would be dings against an applicant paying out of pocket. If that voucher holder applies and has any factors working against them that would be issues for another person paying out of pocket as well, how can I protect myself so someone doesn't come back and say I am discriminating against voucher holders? I'm happy to consider renting to someone who uses a voucher, but I also want to be sure this person would check out soundly for other factors, and know that if they don't meet my criteria, and I don't select them, that I am protected in some way. 

Hello,

My husband and I own one rental property that has turned over for the first time since we bought it two years ago. We are almost exclusively getting interest from voucher holders and we have some questions on understanding the program and rights as a landlord in DC, etc. 

We are seeking the counsel of a lawyer very familiar with this area. We are happy to pay for your time, but would likely prefer to correspond over email or phone due to limited time to meet in person.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Thanks @Russell Brazil. I wanted to be responsive to this person, but I also wanted to be sure I said the right things and I'm glad I did. I'll have to do reading on this to get familiar with the program (as a landlord there is so much to know and we can't possibly know it all without referencing something)- and to see if she drops off (ie is just testing us) or if she follows through with interest in visiting the property. 

Thanks for pointing out where to start. Legal language is never fun to interpret so I also appreciate all of this information.

You are an awesome resource to this community!

Thanks for this info @Russell Brazil. It was interesting how she worded it as "do you consider voucher holders?" And how does it work that we must accept voucher holders? My understanding is that we as the landlords still conduct independent background checks. If something didn't check out comfortably that we would look for in any prospective tenant (say, criminal history), we would not be obligated, correct? 

I'm going to be doing more research to understand the laws, but if you can reference anything with clear language, I would greatly appreciate it.