Section 8 Interesting Stories - Share And Learn
HI Group.
I thought it might be interesting to share some interesting stories that you have heard or experienced in dealing with Section 8 HUD authority.
I recently put Property for rent and found a section 8 Tenant. I was asking $1650 in rent. House has 6 bedrooms and the tenant has a 5 bedroom voucher.
After submitting the paperwork I got a call from HUD telling me that they can pay $1760 - utilities. and utilities for a 6 bedroom comes to 400$. making the rent $1360. SO they were punishing me twice ... once by the size of voucher (being 5 not 6) and second time by deducting higher utilities amount (as the house is a six bedroom) making the net rent less.
I asked the HUD lady what if I close one of the bedrooms and make the house 5 bedroom. She said...if you close one of the bedrooms we can pay you $1490. Interesting how by closing one bedrooms I can get $130 additional every month.
Lesson: Feel free to think outside the box in dealings with HUD. they are not going to think for you.
Also, I learnt that they really have a max amount they can pay but they might not always tell you what the max is... during my calls to 4-5 different people at HUD I heard three different max rent numbers from them.
Inspections: If you have the tenant tell the inspector how they need the place real bad and will be homeless and stuff the inspector can be a LOT more accommodating.
Btwn: My tenant offered me the difference between HUD and asking price but I refused. I think it is a common practice but Still illegal. Also these people are trying to meet ends and we need to work with them as long as they are also reasonable.
My tenant moved in yesterday and I am sure I will have a lot of interesting stories in the future but wanted to share these initial learning's.
I have had a sec8 tenant with zero problems other than annoying calls about random things from time to time
Had a section 8 tenant who gets a check in her name and the water companys name she was cashing the checks at a local grocery store and blowing the money.
I complained to the case worker and she sent the girl a letter saying she couldn't do that and that was it! Needless to say I was stuck with a $300.00 water bill when her lease was up.
This was the federal government is that the best they could do? Must of been because I'm still trying to get my money from this deadbeat tenant!
Ed