The Housing Act of 1937 was a product of the National Housing Act of 1934, part of the legislation to help Americans rebuild from the Great Depression. In addition to creating a central national housing authority, it gives those on welfare more options when it comes to living situations. This is known as the Section 8 Choice Voucher Program.
Many landlords accept Section 8 tenants because of the benefits it can provide. However, they should also be aware of the regulations in place.
Your property must be approved by the local housing commission
First, your rental house has to be “approved” for occupancy by the local housing commission. Whatever your municipality’s local ordinances are for getting a certificate of compliance don’t mean a thing to the housing commission. In fact, the housing commission will send out its own independent inspector to ensure your house meets their standards. Until the house is approved by the commission your rent payments don’t start.
The housing commission must do annual inspections
Just because you received approval from the housing commission doesn’t mean you keep it. The housing commission is required to do annual inspections. If the housing commission finds deficiencies in the home in their re-inspection, that can put your house and tenant into abatement. That means that you don’t get rental payments for the time period that the property is in abatement.
Section 8 tenants can be a great asset to landlords of both single-family homes and multi-family apartments. However, landlords do need to understand what they are getting themselves into and the potential consequences before committing to going into business with the government. Our attorneys at the Law Offices of Aaron D. Cox, PLLC have extensive experience both with the legal aspects of dealing with section 8 tenants and with the practical administration of the section 8 program as well. Contact us today to learn more.
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