Posted by Tony Colella on January 13, 2007 at 14:39:35:
Hey Dave, I wish I could be more specific but unfortunately I cannot. It was several years ago, during a workshop when section 8 was mentioned and several of the people in the audience mentioned the problem.
Take what they say with a grain of salt however and go into the section 8 with eyes wide open. I have learned that just because someone owns rental property does not mean they are professional landlords. Most if not every horror story about landlording I have heard boiled down to the landlord not knowing the landlord/tenant laws in their state and either allowing the tenants to control them or the landlord committed a henious violation such as simiply cutting off the water when someone did not pay rent (suffering treble damages {triple} when sued by the tenant).
You have heard or read of me talking well of section 8 and I freely admit that the section 8 administration in my area of NC has been fair… not pro tenant and not pro landlord. Fair.
I suspect that if you learn the laws and rules and play by them, there is little way that anyone can treat you unfairly. Lastly if you are treated unfairly for some reason, there is no place within the section 8 program that you are going to find yourself in a position that you can’t just cut the ties. The lease controls the tenancy. If your lease is solid and legal and the tenant violates the lease then you evict and either start over with section 8 or go your separate ways.
Tony