Section 8 tenant not paying her rent

[Anonymous]

We had a tenant who knew the DC system well and who stopped paying the rent for over a year and made complaints to DC about repairs that were needed so they didn't have to pay. THEN, the tenant would refuse entry for any repair person so the repairs were not made. Then they caused a flood and had to be put up at a hotel on our dime. While in the hotel, the repairs were made,they came back and they never paid any back rent.

They moved out in the middle of the night to Florida, owing over a years back rent. They bought a house in Florida.

DC is a hellish place to be a landlord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny that so many people think the eviction bans are a big fat gift to the renters not paying rent at present. The truth is that once eviction moratoriums expire, all the unpaid rent will be due immediately or eviction processes and small claims lawsuits will apply. Those that aren’t paying rent either 1) honestly can’t afford to, or be 2) are incredibly stupid.

There are a lot of people that just scammers and they know how to work DC gov against the landlords.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who rents to Section 8 is just a fool. I never rent to Section 8 and thus have had 0 problems with tenants paying rent over the last 15+ years in DC. I’ve had literally thousands of tenants over this time. It’s not difficult people.

Either renting to or living near section 8 housing is a disaster waiting to happen. Those folks will always stop paying rent the moment they have an excuse not to, that was before the pandemic as well. And living next to them is a nightmare, the city converted some apartments to section 8 in one of the nicer neighborhoods and everyone was too afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled racist and whatnot. Within a year, arrests for drugs increased in the area, there were more car break-ins, constant police due to domestic disputes and all sorts of other issues, and some moron let his pit bull out near the elementary school and it almost mauled a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not realtor or landlord so I’m free to say this:

1. Don’t buy in DC, where there is rent control, or where they don’t respect property (equal) rights.

2. Don’t rent to Section 8. I don’t care what they claim to promise this or that, the fact it is another party’s financing, and more restrictions and the government gets a say.

3. Don’t do business with the above. They (the government) are not honest brokers. Real estate or otherwise.

4. Why would you even be renting in a Property Class that would be Section 8 eligible for anyway? The eviction and vacancy rate is not worth the extra theoretical ROI when there is easier money that comes in, on time, every time.

5. Why do you think there is a higher risk premium and fewer players in this property class? Why do you think there are fewer below market rentals or why Section 8 has a hard time finding people to accept. There is a reason, no matter what the propagandists try to tell you.

Sound advice. The scary part is dc, and the Biden administration, doing their worst to ensure landlords have to have tenants they don’t want (section 8) foisted on them at any cost.

Put each property in an LLC. I take the government payment for all properties and assume I will never get paid by a tenant. It is not worth trying to evict so you keep them in place and collect from the government. No one bothers me because I don’t make waves. If a tenant wants something done, I do only items that affect insurance. They are not getting anything painted, flooring, carpeting, lights, appliances. They break it they fix it. No one bothers you if you play the game right. .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many rent assistance programs due to covid going on right now that landlords can apply for on behalf of their tenants, even tenants already receiving section 8 help. The money goes directly to the landlords. Contact the housing authority to see if your tenant qualifies. May need to waive late fees, though, but you still may be better off.

Is there anything like this for section 8 tenant in DC?
If not, then how about for regular tenants in Virginia. I have properties at both locations and tenants are not paying.

where are your rental in VA? I have 5 and all tenants have been paying throughout the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

just raise the rent 120%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a buddy who rents a bunch of units to Sec 8...loved that he got regular above market rent for years with no marketing. Now, no one is paying their share because there is an eviction moratorium on Sec 8 tenants. They all know this and all just stopped paying and nothing he can do about it.

If they are on a yearly lease, you refuse to renew and then do a tenant holdover claim and they are evicted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get that this landlord said they already had a section 8 tenant in the property when they bought it. But as far as future landlords, aren’t there specific inspection requirements, etc to have the house qualified to be section 8 housing. So can’t the landlord just decline to go through the inspection process and therefore doesn’t qualify to be a section 8 landlord?

Who knows. I know people who have been sued by the district for saying they don’t take housing vouchers. They city is cracking down now. It’s all in the name of fairness or some BS. Essentially if you were some small time person trying to run out your house on craigslist because you need to move and someone emails you and says hey do you take vouchers and you say no you are fair game to be sued by the city. It costs thousands of dollars to fight these lawsuits all because you are a gentrifying, heartless piece of sht who doesn’t want to rent your row house to some family of 10 from EOTR who has a massive section 8 voucher, but a history of putting out cigarette butts on cornice molding and ripping our copper piping. Just take anyone! Just do it! Right? It’s only your stupid house. You should be forced to put anyone up. You are such a bad person if you don’t.

Trying to “rent” not run.

What I mean is that I am a liberal, but also being a landlord, and having seen so much poverty in DC and so much damage done by section 8 tenants that it’s very hard to be pro social justice, and anti-poverty, and want to rent my properties to section 8 tenant. These people have no investment in the property. Many of them just don’t care. It’s not hyperbole to say that cigarettes will get smoked in your house. There will be yelling and drugs and who knows what. There is lying about how many people will actually live in the unit often times. Again, even saying things with truth to them these days, and are painful to hear will have you branded racist or worse. We are now entering a time period in history where critical thinking is being canceled. That sounds like complete Tucker Carlson nonsense, but it’s true.

This was my experience too. Never again.

-- Black woman who will not be a landlord in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a tenant who knew the DC system well and who stopped paying the rent for over a year and made complaints to DC about repairs that were needed so they didn't have to pay. THEN, the tenant would refuse entry for any repair person so the repairs were not made. Then they caused a flood and had to be put up at a hotel on our dime. While in the hotel, the repairs were made,they came back and they never paid any back rent.

They moved out in the middle of the night to Florida, owing over a years back rent. They bought a house in Florida.

DC is a hellish place to be a landlord.

Are you me? Had a similar experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sht, I’m an investor and haven’t looked into this area that much. I’ve been mostly scared by horror stories.

But I’m wondering if I can buy something cheaper in one of the crappier neighborhoods that still has decent “approved rents” by dc for a 3 or 4 bedroom. Throw in some builder grade materials and rent it out for like $3,400 a month.

Obviously, It’s still sketchy kind of risk, unless I am ready and willing to potentially only accept only the voucher paid portion. But really I could probably do a decent job screening, as there’s so many people on the voucher waiting list for housing. I think it’s in the thousands.

I need to learn more about what the upkeep requirements are and hell I could make this profitable. Either way at the end of the day, why are we paying poor people to live in the city anyway? Why are we trying to foster generations of property by subsidizing their living? I still don’t get what we do that. What vested interest do we have in housing poor people? Is it so certain politicians will be reelected? Why don’t we just let the market work as it should and people will simply move to places that are more affordable?

You could and a lot of people are doing that. The best bang for the buck is buying something that could be qualified for 3-4 bedroom and is relatively cheap and you can get as high as $4000/mo in DC. It's crazy how much tax $s get paid out through section 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a tenant who knew the DC system well and who stopped paying the rent for over a year and made complaints to DC about repairs that were needed so they didn't have to pay. THEN, the tenant would refuse entry for any repair person so the repairs were not made. Then they caused a flood and had to be put up at a hotel on our dime. While in the hotel, the repairs were made,they came back and they never paid any back rent.

They moved out in the middle of the night to Florida, owing over a years back rent. They bought a house in Florida.

DC is a hellish place to be a landlord.

Are you me? Had a similar experience.

This is why I basically discriminate when I rent my units. Not along racial lines (I'm black so this is a pre-emptive shut up to any white person that wants to come here and call me racist), but I don't rent to anyone who seems to be of or come from poverty. My rentals are mostly to kids out of college from good schools who have mommy and daddy, and to young yuppy couples who are lawyers etc. I won't rent to anyone that seems sketchy or poor, full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a tenant who knew the DC system well and who stopped paying the rent for over a year and made complaints to DC about repairs that were needed so they didn't have to pay. THEN, the tenant would refuse entry for any repair person so the repairs were not made. Then they caused a flood and had to be put up at a hotel on our dime. While in the hotel, the repairs were made,they came back and they never paid any back rent.

They moved out in the middle of the night to Florida, owing over a years back rent. They bought a house in Florida.

DC is a hellish place to be a landlord.

Are you me? Had a similar experience.

This is why I basically discriminate when I rent my units. Not along racial lines (I'm black so this is a pre-emptive shut up to any white person that wants to come here and call me racist), but I don't rent to anyone who seems to be of or come from poverty. My rentals are mostly to kids out of college from good schools who have mommy and daddy, and to young yuppy couples who are lawyers etc. I won't rent to anyone that seems sketchy or poor, full stop.

This is good. I do give concessions to someone who have struggled before but have good intentions now.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who rents to Section 8 is just a fool. I never rent to Section 8 and thus have had 0 problems with tenants paying rent over the last 15+ years in DC. I’ve had literally thousands of tenants over this time. It’s not difficult people.


Either renting to or living near section 8 housing is a disaster waiting to happen. Those folks will always stop paying rent the moment they have an excuse not to, that was before the pandemic as well. And living next to them is a nightmare, the city converted some apartments to section 8 in one of the nicer neighborhoods and everyone was too afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled racist and whatnot. Within a year, arrests for drugs increased in the area, there were more car break-ins, constant police due to domestic disputes and all sorts of other issues, and some moron let his pit bull out near the elementary school and it almost mauled a kid.

I would let my rental units sit vacant for 50 years before I rented to Section 8. I view it as my civic duty to the neighbors of the properties.

[Anonymous]

My section 8 tenant has not paid and tells me to apply for government assistance because apparently that is available for landlords, according to her.
Also, the unpaid wssc water bill is almost $1500. Water is not being shut off for non payment. She blames me because she cannot get paper work for assistance and that is my fault.

[Anonymous]

I don't think landlord can apply for any kind of government assistance. She is gaslighting you. Tenant is the one who applies.

Let the water get disconnected if the bill is so high and she's not paying for any of it. First of all, she's not paying rent and then you have to pay for her water in addition to that?