Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

No Escape from Section 8

BY Stewart E. Sterk
August 27, 2009

According to federal law, landlord participation in the “Section 8″ program, which provides housing subsidies for low-income tenants, is voluntary. In a variety of ways, New York statutes regulating the landlord-tenant relationship have attempted to restrict the right of landlords to stay out of the “Section 8″ program. Landlords have challenged each of these regulatory measures, and have almost invariably lost. In the most recent of these, Tapia v. Successful Management Corp. (Supreme Ct., N.Y. Cty, 7/20/09; NYLJ 7/28/09, p. 34., col. 1), the landlord challenged the application of two separate regulatory measures, and the result was familiar: the court upheld the regulations.

The Voluntary Nature of Section 8

The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 marked the genesis of the Section 8 program, which provides vouchers to eligible low-income individuals toward rent for privately owned apartments. Landlord participation was always voluntary, but in 1987, Congress enacted two provisions that restricted the right of landlords to exit from the Section 8 program. First, a “take-one take-all” provision, 42 USC sec. 1437(f)(t), provided that a landlord who entered into a rental agreement with at least one Section 8 tenant could not use Section 8 status as a basis for refusing to rent to another Section 8 tenant. Second, an “endless lease” provision, 42 USC sec. 1437(f)(d)(1)(B)(ii), provided that a landlord could not refuse to renew the lease of a Section 8 tenant except for good cause. These restrictions made participation in Section 8 unattractive for many landlords.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.