Enterprise Property Management Encourages Landlords to Consider Section 8 Applicants

July 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Enterprise, an Orange County property management company has launched an initiative to educate southern California landlords about the benefits of accepting tenants that receive Section 8 or other government housing assistance.  

The ultimate goal of the initiative is to increase the number of rental homes available to families receiving government housing assistance.  According to Jay Jones, an agent for Enterprise, many landlords refuse to consider families receiving government housing assistance based on their preconceived notion that they are “riskier” tenants.  As a result there are very few homes, especially in the more affluent neighborhoods, available to tenants who are utilizing housing assistance programs.

Enterprise hopes to dispel some of the common myths associated with renting to families receiving government housing assistance by reaching out to local landlords and educating them on how the programs work.  After spending decades as a leader in the Los Angeles and Orange County property management field, Enterprise believes it has a good understanding of the concerns landlords have when it comes to this issue.

Perhaps the most common push back is the belief that tenants who receive public assistance will destroy the property.  According to Mr. Jones such an assumption is unfair because there are good and bad tenants at every income level.  He believes that the best defense a landlord has against ending up with a bad tenant is proper screening during the application process.  This means conducting thorough credit and background checks, including speaking with prior landlords.

Enterprise also wants to share with landlords what it believes to be one of the greatest benefits of Section 8 tenants.  That is that the property owner can rely on the government to pay most of the monthly rent without delay.  According to Mr. Jones, for a landlord it is a huge relief to know that you can count on that monthly rental income coming in like clockwork regardless of what is happening in the life of your tenant.

Although Enterprise has been a fixture in the Orange County property management market for almost 50 year, this is the first time they have addressed this particular issue.  Enterprise hopes that by gaining a better understanding about how the programs work, landlords will be more likely to consider applications from program participants.  
Landlords are encouraged to call (714) 542-6800 or email epm@socalpropertymanagement.com if they have landlord questions related to local public assistance programs.

Enterprise Property Management is an Orange County property management company that specializes in full service residential real estate management.