California, HUD, Section 8 -- Standard? What's that? the Joker's who operated the system make things up as they go along to suit their needs, not the landlord.

The latest "standard" is to tell a landlord they had a "good" person for temporary placement. They guarantee the First, Security and 3 months of the "total rental amount"! The do not provide the credit application, work history or any personal details of the renter. Why? Because they are an "early release" jailbird who has no skills, can't keep a job and it's the State's job to find them housing.

When one of these looses, Section 8 placed jailbirds, got hold as a roommate in a large apartment complex I owned, the first thing he did was disable the front door lock and remove all of the interior hallway light near to his apartment. He was now dealing drugs out of my building. I took my case to the Police, Los Angeles Police Department, AKA Dunkin's Donuts. They refused to do anything and then sent a letter to the D.A. or City Attorney. Then the City Attorney informed me that unless I remove that drug dealing tenant from my building, the city was going to take it away from me.

Because I reported the problem and was trying to deal with it, I was going to loose a million dollar property. I had to expedite my eviction by bribing City officials. Heck had I known I could have bribed the police to do a drug sting. They would keep any cash found and then confiscate the drugs and turn only a portion over to the prosecutor. This was Rampart division, they made a TV show called "The Shield" about it. All true.

For 4 years the City of L.A. didn't allow a landlord to Opt-out of the section 8 program. L.A. through 1500 families off the section 8 program, kept on collecting funds from the state so they could use those monies to hire private security for the buildings in Watts, Compton and East L.A. where 100% of those buildings are on assistance.

Also the City makes 25% commission on funds they turn over each month to landlords on Section 8. And the State of CA makes around 12% commission also. So why would the City or State allow a landlord to evict or through out a tenant making them $300 a month? They wouldn't.

Lee, Robert doesn't even need to see the glass--he sees the reality! HE is the #1 expert on the LA/SoCal area and Sec-8 in general. When he gives an example, its not just an opinion or a probability--it is a real happening-like it happened to HIM.

My experience is the same. I found that the Sec-8 program administers makeup whatever rules they like, or just pick the ones they want to use against you from among the MANY conflicting rules that are already in place. The personnel are discourteous, unmotivated(lazy), confused, and for the most part absent from work on any given day. Not only will they not return your phone calls, but if you go IN to see them you will be told you never called them. Messages disappear, whole files disappear. You have to tell them who you are and which of their clients in in your property because they never heard of you.

Their inspectors are worse, if you can imagine that. They have no training, and know little about what makes up a building. They don't know the Sec-8 standards--and make you change things with no rhyme or reason--and a dif inspector will tell you the opposite. And this is all without saying a WORD about the level of the clients they send to you as renters! Which is a whole other post we won't get into at this time.

The applicant should know her voucher in terms of bedrooms qualified and allowable amount. If your local housing operates differently, you propose an amount and they will figure out if it is within her qualified amount..

I think Lee(CA) is looking for the standard S8 rents for his area.

While there are tables online of what HUD should pay for # of bedrooms in which city. They are just guidelines - and usually high.

Each and every Housing Authority in each city then takes that "HUD standard" and adjusts it sown for "local market conditions".

Sooooo..you must call the local housing authority and simply ask them for the maximimum rents allowed for a 1 or 2 or 3 bedroom with and without utilities included.

Just because you have to take them doesn't mean you have to take them.

In SF the courts sided with the City /Tenants, (NE)My three units are 6K. That’s below market Rent Control sucks.

So Robert how are you dealing with the trash monopoly?

Definitely don't worry about what suckhole 8 will pay. Like was already said, just advertise it for what you can get. You'll get plenty of deadbeats if that's what you're hoping to find.

Since I stopped taking charity cases, AKA Section 8, I have the cream of the crop tenants. For example here is a short list of tenants careers:

1) A university professor head of his department, author of 4 books.

2) A head librarian who has a masters degree and is known for his specialty field of information.

3) A former NASA scientist, now a school teacher -- giving back.

4) A fund raiser for worthy causes.

5) Nurse (several in the medical profession)

6) Owner of a restaurant.

7) Actress, writer

8) A dog trainer who worked with Cesar Milan.

9) Government worker

To answer your question:

Go to Google--

Type in-- HUD FAIR MARKET RENTS

Scroll down to the fourth or fifth topic--