It is rough out here to find qualifed tenants, some propereties are extra difficult. So my question is what are your preferences for Sec 8 tenants. I know aND RESPECT FAIR HOUSING RULES And understand that some pererences many conflict with local/federal laws:

But here are some of my preferences in Sec 8 tenants (some may/may not conflict with fair housing laws):

- prefer no teenage boys (too hard on property)

-prefer someone who is working (no stayingh home all day destroying house)

-no ESA's (tendancy to game the system)

-not too young (40+ better, but not too old grandparents have grandkids move in too often)

What are your Sec. 8 tenant preferences?

NE...I don't violate the Law. You can have tenant preferences and still follow fair housing laws..., try to wrap your head around that .....for example:

You host a pot luck dinner. There are certain rules for what you can bring, i.e. bring enough for everyone, avoid some known allergies, etc. You can hope that someone shows up to the pot luck dinner with an apple pie, your favorite desert. But anyone who shows up with a dish (alsumming they meet the guidelines) is welcomed and treated with respect and fairness.

I feel you on the difficulty finding good tenants. I think you have to work with the same behavioral criteria you'd normally work with Being employed is definitely preferable. Checking LL references and rental history is probably even more important. Additional folks getting slipped in is definitely an issue although I'm not convinced it's worse than the non section 8 tenant.

I had one on section 8 that I wound up getting rid of a few years ago. She had moved in her boyfriend who had a criminal past who was attempting to sell drugs out of the place. Fortunately, the HUD office in my area was decent and when I reported this, they came down like a ton of bricks on her. That soured me on the program but as you say, it's very tough to find decent tenants. so I don't rule anything out as a last resort. If I were to do it again, I'd prefer someone older.

You ARE allowed to have types you prefer in your own mind. You are NOT allowed to put your preferences in print in an ad but you can certainly feel a certain kind of way about certain kinds of people.

And we ARE allowed to discuss our preferences and why we have them, unless the preferences lead to discrimination and violate the law.

I don't do Section 8 - very very few LLs around here do - but I still have preferences for types of tenants.

Jobs are good. Good kids are good. We have two teenage boys at one of our places but they showed up in khakis and leather shoes (yes I judge) and shook my hand and were properly shy and respectful. I don't care for their moms, but the kids are good.

Liking apple pie is a preference. Refusing to rent to a family because they have teenage boys is a violation of the law. A bit different than hoping for sugar cookies at a potluck or deciding to not eat the coleslaw.

If your state has a protected source of income law, it would be against the law to refuse an applicant only because they don't have a W-2 salary. I'd be surprised if MA doesn't have a source of income law.

It is against the law to refuse an applicant for no other reason than they are claiming an ESA.

Oregon, please reread my posts. No one gets denied for having teenage boys, just like the folks with peanut butter cookies are not getting turned away from the pot luck. Just not my preference (what I was hoping for). This should not be difficult to grasp.

Oregon, please reread my posts. No one gets denied for having teenage boys, just like the folks with peanut butter cookies are not getting turned away from the pot luck. Just not my preference (what I was hoping for). This should not be difficult to grasp.

Oregon, please reread my posts. No one gets denied for having teenage boys, just like the folks with peanut butter cookies are not getting turned away from the pot luck. Just not my preference (what I was hoping for). This should not be difficult to grasp.

Oregon, please reread my posts. No one gets denied for having teenage boys, just like the folks with peanut butter cookies are not getting turned away from the pot luck. Just not my preference (what I was hoping for). This should not be difficult to grasp.

Oregon, please reread my posts. No one gets denied for having teenage boys, just like the folks with peanut butter cookies are not getting turned away from the pot luck. Just not my preference (what I was hoping for). This should not be difficult to grasp.

All those preferences make sense to me. I accept section 8 but screen heavily Along similar principles. Section 8 tenants can be like another tenants. Some good some bad. But when section 8 goes bad it's about 10 20k of damages. Most section8 are un collectible when they do damages. They also have entitlement and don't care because they don't pay for anything.

OW, Laura was asking about generic preferences, not discussing a specific prospective tenant.

I don’t have many Sec 8 and just about all of them have been inherited with new properties but the one group I have never had any issues with are retired church ladies. Retired folks in general have been great.