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Huntsville Housing Authority - HQS Pre-Inspection Checklist

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HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS (HQS) PRE-INSPECTION CHECKLIST

Failed inspections require re-inspections and delays the initial contract process, including your first Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Please help expedite this process by using this pre-inspection checklist and look your unit over carefully before the unit is scheduled for an initial HQS inspection. Repair or replace any items which will violate Housing Quality Standards (HQS).

Listed below you will find some of the most common reasons why a unit will fail a HQS inspection.

• Peeling or flaking paint
• Unsafe or rotted porches
• Water leaks
• GFI outlets not installed in kitchen and bathrooms
• Weak or broken floor boards, broken windowpanes
• Faulty plumbing
• Missing electrical outlet covers or switch plates
• Inoperable Hardwired smoke detectors with battery back-up

Here is a checklist to use prior to the inspection. This listing is not considered to be a complete list of causes for HQS failure.

• All ceilings, walls, and floors must be strong, sturdy and in their permanent positions.

• A working hardwired electrical smoke detector with a live battery back-up must be installed in every level of the unit, including in the basement and outside of sleeping rooms.

• The entire unit, both inside and outside, including window frames, must be free of cracking, scaling, peeling, chipping, and loose paint. This prevents exposure to possible lead-based paint hazards.

• Where there are four or more consecutive steps, handrails must be securely attached. This applies to both the interior and exterior of the unit.

• The unit must be free of roaches, rodents, or any other infestations.

• The entire unit, interior and exterior, must be free from electrical hazards. There may be no loose, hanging, or exposed wires. All three prong outlets must be wired correctly.

• Every room used for living must have either two working outlets or one working outlet and a permanently installed light fixture. At a minimum, each bathroom must have a permanently installed light fixture.

• All light switches and outlets must have secured plate covers installed.

• All windows and doors must be secure when closed, and must be weathertight.

• All windows and doors that are accessible from the outside, must have working sturdy locks.

• All openable windows must have a mechanism to secure them in place when opened.

• The bathroom must have either an openable window or an exhaust fan for ventilation, and a GFI electrical outlet installed.

• The water heater tank’s pressure relief valve must have a discharge line extending down two to six inches from the floor or routed through outside wall.

• The flue pipe leading from the furnace and water heater tank must be sealed at the chimney. Also, check to ensure that the flue pipes connecting to the furnace and water heater tank are installed correctly.

• Every room used for living must have an adequate heat source. If the source is gas, it must be vented to the outside. If the source is electric, it must be permanently installed and controlled by a separate thermostat.

• If the downspouts or gutters are damaged and/or missing, causing interior damage to the unit, they must be replaced or repaired. Any damage to the interior of the unit due to the missing or damaged downspourts or gutters must be repaired. Gutters must be clear of debris.

• The unit must be free from any accumulation of garbage or debris, both inside and outside.

• Owners must provide “refuse disposals”; facilities include trashcans with covers, or dumpsters with lids.

• Every bedroom must have at least one openable window for ventilation; if windows are designed to open.

• Mail box must not be damaged and USPS approved.

• Yard must be clean, mowed and no unregistered/inoperable vehicles.

• Detached garages and storage buildings must meet the same safety standards for the interior/exterior of the unit.