Dekalb Section 8 Program Makes Landlords Cut Grass
I received a letter from the Housing Authority of Dekalb County last week that basically stated that due to pressure from HOA’s and the community- they were requiring landlords to become “responsible for ensuring that the grass and weeds on the premises of participating HCV Program properties do not exceed 12 inches in height and that any dead or hazardous trees, shrubs, ground cover, or weeds must be removed that are likely to harbor vermin, inspects, restrict or impede access to a public use of adjacent sidewalks or streets or pose a risk of physical injury ot the public.”
They will be citing the landlords for these offensives and give 10 days to get the issue corrected or abate the rent. Now if you know me, I fully agree that the landlord be responsible for weeds, trees, and maintaining the pinestraw yearly. After all- it is your investment and you want to maintain it. But grass cutting and trimming of the shrubs should be 100% the responsibility of the tenant.
I called the representative listed in the letter to discuss with him the concerns with this issue. To which I was told that even if our lease states that the tenant is responsible for the lawn maintenance, we could not charge the tenant back for cutting the grass on their behalf. My only recourse would be to terminate the lease relationship with the tenant which nets me the same thing – no rent.
I cannot treat them like I do every non-HCV partipant – charge them for the service of taking care of cutting the grass. Isn’t this reverse discrimination? The additional burden and costs associated with this new ruling could be tremendous. Not to mention that they will not be raising the rental rates to cover this additional expenses.
When I brought that to the attention of the official that this was going to have larger ramifications and I felt this was a mistake – he really didn’t think it was an issue.
Let me fully explain the ramifications of this action:
1 – The tenants will soon figure out that they are really not responsible for lawn maintenance regardless of what the lease states.
2- What other lease provisions with the Sec 8 program decide really doesn’t matter? How is it that they can change the rules in the middle of the lease – but we can not?
3- The increased cost to the landlords in an ever decreasing rental market will cause smart landlords to not accept Sec 8 in those areas as we will not be able to afford to maintain the homes and will get more money on the open market. Therefore, leaving landlords who really don’t maintain their houses in the program.
4 – It will reduce the number of rental homes that are purchased in Dekalb. Dekalb county already passed the water conservatory order which means that in order to sell, a seller must conform to the new water resitrctions of low-flow toilets and shower heads. (Read earlier post)
5- It is really is reverse discrimination in my opinion.
So if you have rental property. I encourage you to get involved. Once adopted in Dekalb – it could easily spread to your county.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:24 am
They make it so hard for landlords and then Sec 8 has so many people trying to find housing
November 13th, 2008 at 8:04 am
As it seems to me, article actual for today.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
So are you going to start discriminating against Sec.8 tenants and not rent to them or are you going to not do business in Dekalb?
January 7th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
TO JAMES P –
Each owner has to make the decision of whether to allow Sec 8 or not. At SSPM, we have several Sec 8 tenants and some in Dekalb which is how this came to my attention.
My purpose in writing the blog was to alert owners to the issue that the government can arbitrarily change a contract without prior notification or agreement of the change which I find unfair.
SSPM is no longer accepting new properties in Dekalb county, but it is not for this reason.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
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April 20th, 2009 at 10:45 am
If you need your grass cut just send me a Email @ adamslawncare09@yahoo.com give me your number and i will call you back. Thank You have a nice day.
August 27th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
This past april my section 8 tenant requested a month extension. I talked with Section 8 and they signed off on it. On the 8 of that month, The tenant requested a walk-through so that she could move out. Well, I refused to do the walk through at that time stating that the contract didn’t end until the end of the month. Section 8 allowed the tenant to move into a new apartment (Even though we had a executed month long extension) and now refuses to pay me for the month that the tenant had a executed lease. So section 8 is now telling the tenants that the lease doesn’t really matter. And you think that obama-care will work??? OMG
May 10th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
nice share, good article, very usefull for me…thanks