All Forum Posts by: Noah Yonker

It is removed now and I will screen tenants the same if they accept it vs if they do not accept it. But like Bill said, I'll use Credit score in declining applications if low. Or another factor if applicable. Thanks!

Sounds like I need to modify my listing. Thanks for the input.

I read a few articles in the last couple years such as the one below that listed cons such as an annual inspections and potentially challenging tenants. At the time, I believe it was legal to turn down Section 8 so I went that route out of ease. But everything is up to code and it was inspected earlier this week by my city's rental inspection person.

https://www.millionacres.com/r...

Just some background, my duplex is in Wyoming, MI. From my brief review, I believe the law applies to that area as well. I just learned about it this morning.

Is anyone aware of this new law? 

I have a duplex unit up for rent right now and have a phrase in the description saying "Not set up for Section 8". I have seen that phrase commonly on other ads and have adapted it for my use. Thoughts behind that is that being approved for section 8 requires additional inspections and it generally brings in a tenants that may not respect the property as well as they aren't investing as much into their rent.

It looks like as of April 2021, a new law passed in 19 states and Washington DC that bars landlords from discriminating based on income level and this includes turning prospective tenants away based on their section 8 voucher.

Here are some articles I found on it:

https://www.nolo.com/legal-enc...

https://www.honigman.com/firm-...

What are your thoughts about this? How are you handling this new law? If this is a valid law, how does one get approved to accept Section 8?

Thanks!

Noah

Patrick,

Thanks for the reply! I like your approach with asking them to partially apply first and complete the credit report & background check later. This helps me know how to move forward and get the apartment filled quickly. Thanks!

Hi all,

I'm getting ready to rent out a unit of my duplex to new tenants for the first time (the unit was occupied for 2.5 years when I bought it). What tips do you have?

I'm planning on using the application and screening tools on Cozy. I've used this website for collecting rent for a while and it works well.

- What key information will a prospective tenant want to know about the property? I think I have the basics in my ad but someone just emailed me asking for more information.

- Do you show your property before or after the prospective tenant applies? Are you strict on that policy?

- Do you include the application link on the rental ad? One of the places I posted my ad was on Craigslist and it got blocked due to the Cozy application link. So I might need to follow up with that via email. Do people trust the links as legitimate websites?

I will probably have individual showings since I live in the other unit and it's convenient. Any other information is appreciated!

Noah