Housing Quality
Standard Inspections

Housing Quality Standard Inspections

The primary goal of the rental assistance programs administered by HACSB is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing. Housing Quality Standards help HACSB accomplish that goal by defining “safe and decent housing” and establishing the minimum criteria necessary for the health and safety of program participants. All HCV housing units must meet Housing Quality Standards in order to participate in the HCV program. HACSB will follow all HUD regulations and established local standards to determine unit compliance.

HACSB partners with a third-party vendor, Reliant Asset Management Solutions, to conduct Housing Quality Standards inspections. The inspectors are trained and certified in all areas related to Housing Quality Standards for our programs. HACSB employees conduct Quality Control Inspections on a sample of units each year. The Quality Control inspection evaluates the inspectors to ensure that the performed inspections are accurate and complete.

Inspection Process for Existing Contracts

For units under contract, an inspection will be scheduled either annually or biennially depending upon the participant’s program type. A notice of inspection is mailed in advance to the landlord and the tenant. If deficiencies are found during the inspection, the results and the correction due date are posted on the landlord portal and mailed to the landlord. The correction date is typically 30 days from the initial inspection date but can be 24 hours for emergency repairs. If the repairs are not completed by the correction date, a notice of abatement and termination of contract will be sent to the owner. The contract termination date will be thirty (30) days after the effective date of the abatement. The contract termination is reversible if repairs are made within the abatement period, but no retroactive payments will be made for the period that a unit is abated.

Self-Certification of Repairs

Under certain circumstances, HACSB may allow the landlord and tenant to self-certify that requested repairs have been completed. This practice saves time, prevents scheduling conflicts and helps avoid potential abatement and unnecessary holds on rent payments.