RoxanneA Section 8 voucher can pay a big portion of your rent, which can help you save cash versus spending it. To participate in this housing assistance program, you’ll have to follow some rules and procedures. If you don’t, you could lose your voucher and the affordable rent that comes with it.
The Frequency of Inspections
Inspections are one of the most important procedures in the Section 8 process. As a tenant, you’ll most likely deal with them on two occasions:
- Before moving into a property you picked.
- Each year while living in the property.
The first occasion requires an inspection so that the Public Housing Agency (PHA) can determine the property meets the HUD’s Housing Quality Standards. This is to ensure that the place is safe for you to live in.
The second occasion, which occurs annually, is used to ensure that the home is still safe, and that you’re properly maintaining it as part of the Section 8 agreement.
Can there be other inspections? Yes, as you or your landlord can request inspections if there’s a concern about a health or safety condition.
What Inspectors Look For
As for what an inspector specifically looks for, they tend to focus on these performance requirements that make up the HUD’s Housing Quality Standards:
- Access
- Food preparation and refuse disposal
- Illumination and electricity
- Interior air quality
- Lead-based paint
- Sanitary conditions
- Sanitary facilities
- Site and neighborhood
- Smoke detectors
- Space and security
- Structure and materials
- Thermal environment
- Water supply
The inspector will look for any hazards or health issues in those areas, and they will mark each as pass, fail, or inconclusive. Just one fail will equal a failed inspection, and you or the landlord will be allowed to fix the issue by a certain date. The inspector will come back on that date to see that the problem is fixed. If it isn’t, you could lose your Section 8 voucher. And if the problem is your landlord’s fault, you could be allowed to move.
Preparing for Inspection
While it’s the landlord’s responsibility to prepare for a Section 8 inspection before you move in, it’ll be up to you to do so during the annual check-up. Here are some things you can do ahead of time to increase your chances of passing the inspection so you can keep receiving assistance:
- Have your landlord perform any repairs before the inspection.
- Remove all garbage and junked appliances, furniture, and automobiles from the property.
- Clean your walls to remove graffiti or grease.
- Clean your floors.
- Make sure your sinks, tubs, and toilets are clean.
- Clean your kitchen appliances.
- Have any broken light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, doors, etc. fixed.
- Patch holes in your ceiling or roof.
- Keep any pets away from the inspector.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working properly.
In short, try to make your home as tidy as possible, both inside and out. While you can’t be expected to maintain a perfect home, showing that you’ve cared for it should be enough to give you a passing grade.
