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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DC is a disaster for good honest landlords. Some tenants take advantage of an old law designed to protect the less fortunate.  Don't do it! [/quote]

I agree.  I've been a landlord for 10 years and got guided into doing section 8 by my property manager.  Let me tell you, what ever the tenant does in the house, the landlord pays and pays and pays.  House passes initial inspection and less than 3 months later there is suddenly a gas leak behind the stove; tenant's off the hook and landlord pays.  A washer, less than 2 years old has the motor burn out, landlord pays.  Nearly impossible to get the tenant out and now i'm hearing that monthly inspections can be considered harassment.

My advice, if your thinking about being a small (2 properties or less) landlord in DC is DON"T DO IT!  You'll end up frustrated because NO ONE cares about landlord concerns!

And be clear on section 8 inspection, you WILL pay (unless your outside the norm) ALL the time......I had 1 beautiful section 8 tenant a while back and our house passed inspection all the time....since then, with less attractive tenants we pay ALL THE TIME; regardless of whether the tenant caused the problem.  And i know many other small landlords that have the same problems.

DC will cry all day long about needing housing but will screw you to the wall if you become a landlord.  Unless you have to DON'T DO IT!  The law is NOT on the landlord's side and no one will give a care about the preservation of your property.[/quote]

Yes, housing choice voucher (formerly and still known as section 8) is set up all wrong. I have been saying for years that if the govt wants small landlords to offer housing to the poor, the govt should just sign leases with the landlords and then the govt can do whatever it wants, rent to whomever for whatever price and be liable for damages, return the property in the same state at the end of the lease. The problem now is that the govt pays section 8 but in many neighborhoods it doesn't even cover market rent and it definitely doesn't cover the increased likelihood of damage and evictions. It's a shame. 
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