How to handle a Sect 8 tenant who is angry and irrational?

A Sect 8 tenant receiving disability moved into my unit recently. This tenant demanded to move in early before rent check was received, called at 11:30 am that night, made a list of 50 or more items on the Inventory & Condition form (including every small raised area on the wall), requested a plumber who went out there and found the water was not turned on yet, wrote a letter stating no phone calls and that there be only mail communication, and argued the unit was not "immaculate", but refused to move even after being offered the return of all monies. This tenant is now demanding that lock on the sliding glass door be made easier to work (it can be lubricated) and that "seams" in wood laminate flooring are causing tenant-owned area rugs to move around and, therefore, landlord should provide rubber liners for rugs. This is just one of many demands. Please advise.

Inform their social worker that there is a problem and tell the tenant to contact the social worker.

Evict them as soon as they do anything out of the norm. Since they will loose section 8 with the eviction they will shape up once they find out you are not a push over.

If you are a sect 8 landlord, you should maintain your building is up to code or better. Sect 8 people need to live in good conditions too. You should do a thorough inspection of this place with a qualified contractor "friend" and fix everything But you should not be held responsible for every little thing this guy wants. He is a negative person who is unhappy with life and wants to make your life as miserable as his. If you want sect 8 tenants get out of that business.

You may want to contact Section 8 on this person and have them "write him" to tell him they will be inspecting the property to see of any problems. Otherwise, I think you can deny his lease and ask him/her to move. they are no different then any other tenant. You have the right to ask them to leave. so get um out.!! My mom goes through this alot as she is an apt manager in texas.

This guy is just a chronic complainer, that's all. Probably part of the mental illness that has him on disability to begin with. There really isn't much you can do with him except learn to endure and ignore.....

I feel sorry for you.

I would handle them the same as anyone else....except copy any letters to them to section 8 offices.

FIrst, bless you for making housing available to Section 8 people. Their lives are difficult enough and having decent housing available can be a leg up to self-sufficiency.

That said, I don't know why on earth you would let a tenant move in before the lease starts. That's a behavior you can change easily enough. Nancy Reagan taught you to just say no.

People with disabilities have certain protections under the law. You should learn how they apply to you.

This guy has made it very easy for you, because he refuses to take phone calls. You can do the same--force him to mail every request to you by certified mail (because you know how unreliable the post office can be!). Email won't do, either.

You will keep a copy of your lease and HUD contract in front of you every time you open one of his letters. Also, keep a link to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then, find the part of the contract or the ADA that addresses his request. You can take his letter and your contracts to the HUD office to speak with the case officer. Decide together how you will respond.

If you find that you are responsible, write a letter back to him, citing the specific wording in the lease, and announcing that you will be at the premises at a certain date and time to fix the matter.

If you are not responsible for the item requested (and you can find this out by googling your state + tenant landlord law, then you write a polite letter in response that says you are not responsible for the item listed, cite the portion of the lease that supports your decision, and reply that no action will be taken.

Eventually, you will train this tenant to request only items that appear in the lease or HUD contract, or are addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once he learns that you will not bend beyond the lease, he will either learn to live within the bounds of your agreement, or decide to move on.

Wendy is correct, I have a few section 8 tenants, most are very nice and cause little or no problems. I even have one as a manager.

You should contact the section 8 office in your city or county, make a list of all the complaints this person is making and give to the section 8 people.

Let them solve all his problems that you think are not what you should be doing, especially about the rubber tabs that keep rugs in place.

Once you give in to this guy you are at his mercy from that day forward. You are not a pin cushion for this persons personal enjoyment.

If this person causes too many problems you can petition section 8 to remove this person. He will not like this as section 8 might disapprove his section 8 privileges.

I hope this has been of some use to you, good luck.

"FIGHT ON"

Boy you got your hands full with this one!!!! Save every communication from this nut job.Including voice mails and answering machine messages. Screen your calls if it is the tenant let it go to voice mail or let the machine take his message,then return his call. You may need this for evidence later
I am afraid you may have a professional tenant on your hands,one who really knows how to play the system.The area rug thing may be a prelude to a slip and fall injury.
He has learned to beat people over the head until he gets what he wants.And has all day to look for trivial things to gripe about. The more you do for him,the more he will ask from you.Tell him that he rented the apartment and if he doesn't like it to look elsewhere,if the rent is fair ask him if he can find a bettor deal.
Some folks if you act nice they consider you a sucker this is one of them. Don't be a door mat!!!!!!

uhhh...no! those rubber liners are the tenants responsibility. You are only providing the apartment consisting of the ceiling, walls, floors, and fixtures/appliances. Those are the only things you are liable for. And that is all he (cough, we the taxpayers) are paying for... If his own furniture is whats causing the apartment to become unsafe, then it is his responsibility to buy whatever is necessary to make his furnishings safe for himself.

why are you even renting to a sect 8 scumbag anyways? You should have just looked for another tenant when he refused to move in. It would have been much less of a hassle.

OK.. so YOU let this person move in prior to receiving payment... your FIRST mistake... If it is YOUR property, why is he "demanding" anything...? And why are you letting him?
You're going to have nothing BUT problems (of your own creation) with this tenant, so get used to it... I would suggest you keep a file on this one! Write down date/time/conversation that took place on EVERY conversation... Make copies of EVERY registered letter you send him.
As far as his complaint on the sliding door... Does the door WORK? Did you pass inspection by the Section 8 people? (Then tell him to have a coke, and a smile, and STFU!) And ignore the "rubber liner" crap... Same as above AND he saw the type of (allowable) flooring... You've got a whiner on your hands...
If it was me (not that I would EVER go Section 8 renters EVER again), as soon as his contract is up, or rent is even ONE day late, I'd get him OUT! ... I hope you took time stamped pictures of the unti prior to him moving in...