1.  Reverse polarity on electrical circuits

2.  Ungrounded 3 prong electrical outlets

3.  Exposed electrical wires

4.  Non-functional GFCI outlets

5.  Short or missing pressure relief valve extension tubes

6.  Deteriorated interior & exterior paint

7.  Non-functioning smoke detectors

8.  No locks on ground level windows

9.  Bathroom ventilation (no working window or fan)

10. Inaccessible areas in a unit (e.g., utility closet, bathroom)

Questions & Answers

What is an HQS inspection?

HQS are the minimum health and safety standards allowed by the HUD to ensure that assisted housing units are decent, safe and sanitary. The Housing Authority is require to perform an HQS inspection of Section 8 assisted units before a participant enters into a HAP contract with an owner, and at least once a year after that.

What are the various types of inspections?

There are five types of inspections:

• Initial Inspection: Conducted before a HAP Contract is executed.
• Annual Inspection: Conducted at least once annually.
• Complaint/Emergency Inspection: Conducted at the request of a tenant or owner to determine whether failure items exist in the unit.
• Re-Inspection: Conducted to confirm that a failure that is considered an
• emergency, tenant or owner's responsibility to fix, or that was identified in a vacant unit has been corrected.
• Quality Control Inspection: Conducted by a quality control inspector to confirm that a previous inspection was performed correctly.

Who is responsible for providing access to the unit for an inspection?

For initial inspections of a vacant unit, the owner is responsible for providing access to the unit; failure to do so may result in the cancellation of their Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA). For an occupied unit, the tenant is responsible for providing access to the unit.

How do inspectors decide to “Pass” or “Fail” a unit?

The inspector uses the HUD Inspection Checklists. These checklists are used as a guideline to determine if the unit meets HQS standards. One single failure item on this checklist will result in a failed inspection. The inspector must then determine whether it was owner or tenant-caused and whether it is an emergency or non-emergency fail. The inspector will note the inspection result and provide details of all failure items.

What happens if the inspection results fail?

In the case of an initial inspection, the owner and the family will be notified of the results. The owner has the option to correct the items or cancel the RTA. The family will also have the option to wait for the owner to correct the failed items within a reasonable time or continue a housing search. A re-inspection of the unit must be scheduled to confirm that the unit passes HQS.

In the case of an emergency fail that is a result of an owner-related deficiency, the owner will be notified via telephone or fax regarding the emergency condition. The owner will have 24 hours to repair the unit before a re-inspection occurs. If the fail items are not corrected, the HAP will be suspended on the first of the month following the failure date, and will not be reinstated until there is a passed inspection result.

In the case of a non-emergency fail that is the family's responsibility to fix, the family has 30 days to correct the deficiencies. A re-inspection will be conducted to verify correction of failed items. If items are not corrected, the Housing Authority will initiate subsidy termination.

In the case of a non-emergency fail that is the owner's responsibility to fix, the owner has 30 days to correct the deficiencies. A re-inspection will be conducted to verify correction of failed items. If items are not corrected, the HAP will be suspended on the first of the month following the failure date, and will not be reinstated until there is a passed inspection result.