I run IronGate from Florida. The houses sit in Mississippi. I never drive there. I never meet the tenant face to face. The only people on the ground are my realtor and my contractor.

The realtor handles the showing, the keys, the lease walkthrough, and the housing authority coordination that needs a body at move-in. Everything before that happens on my computer and phone.

That includes tenant screening.

Most new Section 8 investors get this backwards. They let the realtor show the unit first, then scramble to figure out if the household can actually qualify. That burns time and creates pressure to accept the first warm body with a voucher.

I reverse it.

A voucher is the document that lets a low-income family receive rental assistance. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is the portion the housing authority pays me every month. The payment standard is the maximum rent the authority will approve for a given unit size in that market. Rent reasonableness is the rule that says my rent must look fair compared to similar unassisted units nearby.

None of that matters if the tenant themselves is a problem.

Here is the exact remote process I run before the realtor ever schedules a showing.

I use affordablehousing.com in order to pre-screen a tenant. In that pre-screen, I have the following questions:

  • What size voucher do you have?

  • How many people in the household?

  • What is your current monthly income from all sources?

  • Why are you moving?

  • Have you ever been evicted or broken a lease?

  • Can you provide contact info for your last two landlords?

Once the pre-screening is complete and they pass the initial screen, I then set up a phone call with the potential tenant.

I listen more than I talk. Soft answers on the why and the eviction history are red flags. Clear, consistent answers move them forward.

If the basics line up with the unit I have available, I request documents the same day: copy of the voucher, photo ID for all adults, proof of income, and the previous landlord contacts.

I call the previous landlords myself. Short call. Did they pay on time? Did they damage the unit? Would you rent to them again? One bad reference is usually enough to stop the process.

Only after that do I send the realtor the green light. She schedules the showing. If the tenant likes the unit, she does the lease walkthrough, hands over keys, and coordinates whatever the housing authority needs on the ground for the final steps.

I stay in Florida running the numbers, the paperwork, the HAP follow-up, and the next offer.

This sequence protects cash flow. It keeps the contractor from turning a unit for someone who was never going to pass. It keeps me from chasing a deal that was dead on arrival.

You do not need a big local team. You need a clear filter on the phone and the discipline to say no early.

Actionable Takeaway

Today, write your five screening questions on a single note in your phone. The next time a voucher holder contacts you, ask them in order before you ever mention a showing.