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1. Why must a unit be inspected?

There are 3 primary reasons a unit must be inspected:
- HUD requires that any unit being considered for or currently in the Section 8 program must meet HQS in order for the owner to receive rental assistance payments.
- To ensure that there are no health or safety issues that will adversely affect the participant.
- To assist property owners in identifying issues that poses a risk to their tenants or require routine maintenance that if left unaddressed could results in substantial repair costs or serious injury.

2. How often will my unit be inspected?

HUD requires that a unit be inspected before the contract is executed (called an initial inspection). And no later than 365 days after the last full inspection (called an annual inspection). There are also audit inspections for quality control, supervisor review and complaint inspections.

3. What is an Audit or Quality Control Inspection?

Audit Inspections can be conducted by HUD, or City of Douglas Housing. Units are chosen at random and any unit under contract may be chosen. The purpose is to identify areas where City of Douglas Inspectors require additional or refresher training.

4. What is a complaint inspection?

Complaint Inspections are inspections requested by either the Participant or the Property Owner after all other means of remedy have been tried. Examples of common complaints include:
- The Property Owner has failed to correct a no heat or no hot water issue with 24 hours of notification by the Participant.
- The Participant (or a member of their family or a guest) has failed to repair damages (beyond normal wear and tear) after being notified by the Property Owner.
- Infestation of cockroaches.
- Leaking roofs.

In all cases before a complaint inspection is requested, the Property Owner and the Participant should have been notified of the problem by the other party. The first question you will be asked is whether or not the other party was notified of the issue, how were they notified, and what was the outcome of that notification.

5. When is an annual inspection scheduled?

Annual Inspections are scheduled approximately 11 months apart to enable The City of Douglas Housing to comply with HUD’s “no later than 365 days” regulation. This allows for cancellations or missed appointments. This 11 month period is based on the last full inspection, not the last re-inspection.

6. How do I get ready for a City of Douglas housing inspection?

If you are a property owner, you are strongly encouraged to inspect your property prior to any visit from a City of Douglas Housing Inspector. This simple general rule can be used as a guideline -- if it’s broken or worn out, repair it or replace it before the inspection.

If you are a participant, you should have your apartment, any adjacent common areas and storage areas, clean and orderly. If there are any damages caused by you, a member of your family or a guest, you should inform the owner prior to the inspection and make whatever arrangements are necessary for repairs.

7. Are there re-inspections?

There will be few violations if the unit, common areas and overall property are maintained in good condition. There will be few problems if there is a strong, proactive, preventative approach to maintenance. Also, completing the repairs or corrections by the scheduled re-inspection date will limit the number of re-inspections required to verify that all of the violations have been corrected.