Landlords: How do I get section 8 renters to stop pestering me?
 

I've had a vacancy in New Mexico for the past few months. I field around 5 phone calls a day, most of which are people desperately looking for Section 8 housing. I know I can't state that I do not accept Section 8 in my ads. So, how do I stop these government mooches from wasting my time?

You just state "Your income must be XXX amount of the rent." Works every time for me.

Must pass credit check.

$400 application fee.

Parasites need not apply?

Then consider yourself very, very, VERY lucky. The lady that sits next to be at work saw the other side of section 8 renters. 11 months, $1000's of dollars, a lawyer and 4 courts trips later, they were gone.

For out town landlords, use a Property Manger Just to get the place advertised and the new renters moved in. Mine charges one months rent for their fee. For that, they:

Advertise
Show
Background/credit checks
Write the Contract
Collect damage deposit and 1st months rent.

At that point, I cut them loose and take over the Mgt myself.....Very happy with the results. I have gotten great tennats both times I've used them. The lastest has been there 5 years and is now in the process of buying the house; Close date of Sept. 1.

^^
My uncle owns an apartment complex in wa state for the last 30 or so years. He's very old fashioned, and will not rent to allot of different types of people. He's not racist, he just knows how to keep the drama out of the complex, and people from destroying the units.

+1 on the application fee/background check fee. Never tell prospective renter it's available, you'll back Yourself in a corner if they feel you discriminated...

Credit/employment check with $50 non-refundable fee (or whatever the going rate is now), followed by first month, last month, deposit, and pet deposit (if applicable).

Section 8'ers will simply move along. In addition, the above also served well at filtering out the deadbeats who are one or three levels above the section 8'ers too.

This sounds good, thanks.

I've already learned that single mothers with 4 or more kids simply demolish my properties.

Wow, you must live in an owner's market. Those kind of $$$ upfront requirements would never fly in Albuquerque. Tenants will move out of the home if you raise the rent by $50 a month.

I have not done the $50 credit check but have done well with just employment check, first, last, and pet deposit if applicable.

I only have the one rental house and I think even with government assistance it is still out of section 8 price range so we don't see any applications from them.

Regarding the above in bold: Why not? If you haven't already, I would confirm whether or not the applicable state/local/municipal housing authorities actually have an anti-discrimination law in place regarding sec.8 tenants. Some states/cities/municipalities do, but many do not, and there is no federal law stating that you can't discriminate against sec.8 tenants.

Thats the way things are here in AZ right now. PM companies are going crazy with fees, and tenants are just bending over and taking it. Rents are running a few hundred more than a mortgage payment too usually. Its nuts right now.

The $400 application fee is actually what a current tenant paid before he found me.
I've seen ads for $1,250/mo to share a room.
Insane in this town and bubble conditions.

$25-50 is pretty standard around here and shows they are motivated. It can be refunded.
If they bawk at that, expect more trouble later on.

I stay on the low side of the market but then again I'm not a good businessman. For the most part I've had excellent customers, and I like to see them succeed, but I let a tenant who I actually liked personally slide again and again. This turned into a game. All kinds of random demands, holes in things at departure, and a screaming fest on the phone. He took out his life frustrations on the nice guy helping him. That hurt.

Assuming the security deposit is equal to one month's rent, those move-in costs wouldn't fly here either (first + last + security deposit + pet deposit), and you wouldn't be allowed to request/require that much. Here you can only collect up to 1.5x base rent in "deposits" so it's typically first month's rent + security deposit, which is equal to 1 month's rent. You can tack on a cleaning and/or pet deposit as well, but must keep everything considered to be a "deposit" under 1.5x rent. The loophole here is with "fees". You can charge non-refundable cleaning and/or pet "fees" that are not considered in the 1.5x calculation. Also, there is nothing here that forbids tenants from volunteering additional up-front rent, but it should be clearly articulated in writing that it is NOT a requirement or condition of acceptance to lease by the landlord.

You may want to try section 8, it's awesome. If I could do it, every tenant would be section 8...

They pay more than market rent...

Guaranteed payment...

The tenant only pay what they can afford. So no issues if bills go up or they lose their job.

They never move...

They get subsidies for utilities...

If they so much as litter, I just call housing and they get on it...

If they get evicted, they lose their housing permanently...

If they move, and don't get a good reference from you, they lose their housing...

The list goes on.

Screen them like you would any tenant. Check credit and references... Then, go for it. I screen 18-20 tenants to find a good one.

Section 8 rocks. Great way to wealth...

Bo

The Section 8 renters in my neighborhood just bought a new '15 Suburban.

Tell them there is a mandatory drug test, credit check, and criminal background check including sex offender and child support violations.