Should I rent my Bakersfield house to a section 8 tenant?

Should I rent my Bakersfield house to a section 8 tenant?

Owners often ask me this question. Here is what I can tell you. I have rented houses under the section 8 program for 20 years. In my experience section 8 tenants tend to stay a long time. And I always tell owners that the most expensive thing you can do is have a tenant move out.

It is important to carefully screen all potential tenants, even section 8 tenants. Just like tenants out side of the section 8 program there are a variety of tenants in the program. Some are a joy to work with and some are a real pain. Some take good care of the properties and some not so much.

Section 8 has a strict no drugs policy. Tenants know that if they or a family member are convicted of a drug charge they will loose their assistance.

In my experience, section 8 tenants tend to see the value of their section 8 voucher and they are motivated to do whatever is needed to continue to participate in the program.

An upfront inspection of the property is required which can take a couple of weeks to schedule adding to reduced vacancy on the front end. It can also add to repair costs but the things the section 8 inspectors look for tend to be things that a conscientious owner would want to take care of anyway. An annual re inspection is also a part of the program. If the inspector finds problems caused by the tenants then the tenant is required to pay for the repairs. If the inspector finds problems not caused by the tenants then the owner is expected to pay which can increase the owner's costs but again, the items the inspector is looking for tend to be items that a conscientious owner should be taking care of anyway.