The following the defects most frequently flagged during Move-in and Annual inspections by AMHA:
1. All utilities must be turned on before the inspection can take place.
2. A unit should be clean, vacant (unless your current tenant just recently acquired their voucher), and ready for inspection.
3. An inspector cannot access the unit using a keycode. An adult age 18 or older must be present; the landlord/agent if the unit is not occupied, the tenant or a representative if it is.
4. Each floor of a unit must have a smoke detector, including the basement. If an attic is being utilized (e.g. as a bedroom or family room), a smoke detector is required there as well.
5. If a unit is a house with two stories plus an in-use attic, then a drop-down fire escape ladder must be kept near a window. They are available at most DIY stores.
6. If any appliance in the unit is fueled by gas (water heater, furnace, stove) or the unit has an attached garage, a carbon monoxide (CO2) detector must be mounted or plugged in, in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms,
7. The exhaust pipe from a gas-fueled water heater and the exhaust pipe from a gas-fueled furnace must maintain a constant upward tilt of at least 1/4” per foot of pipe.
8. A discharge pipe must be attached to the water heater and end 2” to 6” from the floor.
9. An electrical outlet within six feet of a water source, including in the basement, kitchen, and bathroom, must be a GFCI outlet.
10. Three three-prong outlets must be grounded. The outlet tester used by AMHA inspectors will display an “Open Ground” if this is not the case.
11. Inspectors will always need access to the mechanicals room, even in an apartment complex. This is to inspect for specifics listed above (water heater, furnace, etc.) and to check for separate meters if the tenant is responsible for a specific utility.
12. If a house or unit was built prior to 1978 and there are children under the age of six in the household (or a member of the household is pregnant), distressed paint is a consideration. Paint that is flaking, peeling or chipping both inside and outside the unit will come under scrutiny and may be flagged for a Risk Assessment, to test for actionable levels of lead paint. Any building on the grounds is a consideration since children may have access to the structure or the soil around it.
13 Stairs, both in the unit and on the grounds, require a handrail for three or more steps. If you can count to four or more when you reach the landing, a handrail is required. Stairwells that descent/ascent in more than one direction may require separate handrails.
14. Windows must be able to stay open on their own (without the aid of a stick for instance).
15. To qualify for a bedroom, a room must have at least one electric outlet and an attached overhead light OR two electrical outlets (so that a lamp could be plugged in).
16. For ventilation a bathroom must have either a window that will stay open or a ceiling fan.
17. A toilet must be well-secured to the floor and the faucet diverter must work if there is a shower.
H:\Inspections Department\AMHA Frequent and Critical Fail Items.docx (CEE)
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