Dependable Monthly Rent
The housing agency pays its share of the rent straight to the owner each month under a signed contract. The resident pays the rest.
Section 8 Property Management
Section 8 Specialists for Metro Detroit Landlords
Many landlords avoid Section 8 because the process looks complicated: housing agency paperwork, inspections, contracts and a rent that someone else has to approve. Zamzam Property Management works with the Housing Choice Voucher program every day, and we handle all of it for you.
This page explains how the program works for a Michigan rental owner, what the rules are, and what we take off your plate.
Why Landlords Rent to Section 8 Residents
What We Handle for You
Section 8 adds steps that a regular lease does not have. These are the ones we take care of, from the first showing to the monthly statement.
- Marketing to voucher holders
- Applicant screening
- Request for Tenancy Approval paperwork
- Rent comparables for the agency
- Pre-inspection walk-through
- Repairs before the inspector arrives
- Meeting the inspector on site
- Re-inspection follow-up
- Lease and HUD tenancy addendum
- Housing Assistance Payments contract
- Collecting the resident’s share
- Tracking agency payments
- Rent increase requests
- Lease enforcement and notices
- Recertification paperwork
- Monthly owner statements
How Section 8 Works for a Landlord
Section 8 is the common name for the federal Housing Choice Voucher program. A local housing agency pays part of the rent to the owner on the resident’s behalf. Here is the process from application to renewal.
Before Move-In:
- The applicant finds your rental. A voucher holder applies like any other applicant.
- You screen and approve. Screening for rental history and suitability is the owner’s job, not the agency’s.
- The Request for Tenancy Approval goes in. Owner and applicant complete it together, and it is submitted to the housing agency with the proposed lease.
- The agency reviews the rent. It must be reasonable compared with similar unassisted rentals, and affordable for the family.
- The home is inspected. Any failed items must be repaired and re-inspected before assistance can start.
- Lease and contract are signed. The owner and resident sign the lease with the HUD tenancy addendum, and the owner signs the Housing Assistance Payments contract with the agency. The family may not move in before this is done.
After Move-In:
- Two payments make one rent. The agency pays its share to the owner, and the resident pays the remainder.
- The resident’s income is re-examined. If household income changes, the split between the two payments changes. The total rent does not.
- The home is re-inspected. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority inspects every other year. Either party can request a special inspection.
- Repairs keep payments flowing. If a required repair is not made on time, the agency can stop its payments until the home passes.
- Rent increases go through the agency. A request is made in writing and must pass the same reasonable-rent test.
- The lease is still your lease. The owner enforces it, and tells the agency about serious violations or a move-out.
Section 8 Inspections
Inspections are where most owners get stuck. The home must pass before assistance starts, and again on a regular schedule after that.
What Inspectors Check:
- Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Safe electrical: no exposed wiring, working outlets and switches, protected outlets near water
- Heat and hot water that work
- No plumbing leaks, and working sinks, toilets and tubs
- Windows and doors that open, close and lock
- No peeling or chipping paint, especially in homes built before 1978
- Secure handrails and safe stairs
- No infestation, and no trip or fall hazards
How We Get You Through It:
- Walk-through before the request is submitted. We check the home against the inspection standard so problems surface before the agency sees them.
- Repairs handled by our vendors. Failed items are fixed properly, with photos for the file.
- Someone on site. We meet the inspector and give access, so an inspection is never missed.
- Fast re-inspection. If an item fails, we repair it and get the re-inspection scheduled.
- Between inspections. Routine maintenance and our own inspections keep the home ready for the next one.
Which inspection standard applies. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority has used HUD’s newer NSPIRE standard for all inspections since July 1, 2024. HUD has given other housing agencies until February 1, 2027 to switch, so some local housing commissions still inspect under the older Housing Quality Standards. Both cover the same ground: health, safety and working systems.
Michigan Rules Landlords Should Know
These are the program rules that most often surprise owners who are new to Section 8.
Rent and Payments:
- Reasonable rent. The agency cannot approve a rent higher than comparable unassisted rentals in the same market, or higher than you charge for comparable units you own.
- The 40 percent limit. At the start of a lease, a family cannot pay more than 40 percent of its adjusted monthly income for rent and utilities. If the rent pushes past that, the agency cannot approve the unit unless the rent or utility split is adjusted.
- No side payments. The owner may not collect extra rent from the resident beyond the amount the agency has approved.
- Security deposit. Allowed, up to one and one-half month’s rent.
- Utilities. The lease must spell out which utilities and appliances the owner supplies and which the resident pays for.
Leases and Fair Housing:
- The agency reviews your lease. The lease is between owner and resident, but the agency must approve it.
- The tenancy addendum controls. HUD’s addendum is attached to every lease. If it conflicts with your lease, the addendum wins.
- No renting to relatives. The owner cannot live in the unit or be related to a member of the family, with a narrow exception for disability accommodation.
- Source of income is protected. Since April 2, 2025, Michigan’s civil rights law prohibits rental discrimination based on a lawful source of income, including Housing Choice Vouchers. Fair housing groups report that owners with five or more rental units must accept all legal sources of income. Read more from the Fair Housing Center.
- Proof of ownership. The agency asks for a recorded deed or similar document before it will contract with you.
Who runs the program locally. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority administers Housing Choice Vouchers across the state through contracted housing agents in each county. Some cities also run their own voucher program through a local housing commission, such as the Detroit Housing Commission. The agency that issued the resident’s voucher is the one that reviews the rent, inspects the home and signs the contract, and each has its own forms and timelines. We work with whichever agency holds the voucher.
Getting Started with Zamzam
Already Have a Section 8 Resident?
You do not need a vacancy to bring us in. We take over rentals with a voucher resident in place, handle the change-of-management paperwork with the housing agency, and pick up inspections, rent collection and maintenance from there.
If an inspection has failed or agency payments have stopped, tell us. Getting a home back into compliance and payments restarted is work we do regularly.
Section 8 Landlord FAQ
What is Section 8?
Section 8 is the common name for the Housing Choice Voucher program, the federal government’s main program for helping very low-income families, older adults and people with disabilities afford housing in the private market. A local housing agency pays part of the rent directly to the owner, and the resident pays the rest.
Who pays the rent on a Section 8 rental?
Two parties. The housing agency pays its share to the owner under a Housing Assistance Payments contract, and the resident pays the remainder directly. Together the two payments equal the approved contract rent.
Can I screen a Section 8 applicant?
Yes. The housing agency confirms that the family is eligible for a voucher. Screening the family and deciding whether to lease to them is the owner’s responsibility, the same as with any other applicant, and the same screening standards should be applied to everyone.
How is the rent amount decided?
The owner proposes a rent. The housing agency then checks that it is reasonable compared with similar unassisted rentals in the same area, and that the family’s share is affordable under program rules. The rent cannot be higher than what you charge for comparable units you own.
How often is a Section 8 rental inspected?
A home is inspected before assistance starts. After that, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority inspects every other year, and either the owner or the resident can request a special inspection. Other local housing agencies set their own schedules within federal rules.
What happens if my rental fails inspection?
The agency sends a list of the items that failed. The owner must make the repairs and the home must pass a re-inspection. Assistance cannot start, and for an existing tenancy payments can be stopped, until the repairs are made.
Can I collect a security deposit from a Section 8 resident?
Yes. An owner may collect a security deposit from the resident, up to one and one-half month’s rent, and Michigan’s security deposit rules apply to it.
Do I have to accept Section 8 vouchers in Michigan?
Since April 2, 2025, Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits rental discrimination based on a lawful source of income, which includes Housing Choice Vouchers. Fair housing organizations report that the requirement applies to owners with five or more rental units. Ask your attorney how it applies to your properties.
Which agencies run Section 8 in Metro Detroit?
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority runs the program across the state through contracted housing agents in each county. Some cities also have their own housing commission with its own voucher program, such as the Detroit Housing Commission. Which agency you deal with depends on who issued the resident’s voucher.
Can Zamzam take over a rental that already has a Section 8 resident?
Yes. We can take over management of a home with a voucher resident in place and handle the change-of-management paperwork with the housing agency.
Talk to a Section 8 Property Manager
Request a free rental analysis and we will tell you what your home could rent for and what it needs to pass inspection. Prefer to talk? Call 248-592-7688.
Tell Us About Your Rental:
- Property address and number of bedrooms
- Whether the home is vacant or occupied
- Any current voucher resident or agency contract
- The date of the last inspection, if you know it
- What you want from the property
Sources: Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Housing Choice Voucher Landlords; HUD, Housing Choice Voucher landlord fact sheet; HUD notice PIH 2026-18 on NSPIRE compliance dates; Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit, source of income. Program rules change. This page is general information, not legal advice.