HCV Inspections
Inspections are conducted by Landmark Inspection Services. If you have questions regarding your upcoming inspection or inspection result, please call (855) 987-5400 or email info@landmarkinspect.com.
What are the Housing Quality Standards (HQS)?
HQS are the minimum health and safety standards that rental properties must meet if they are to be rented out to HCV Program participants.
The purpose is of these standards is to make sure low-income families on the HCV Program are offered rental housing that is both safe and sanitary. In other words, it prevents unscrupulous landlords from exploiting subsidized tenants and offering them substandard housing.
These housing standards apply to all types of rental homes that are rented out to subsidized tenants, regardless of their location and size.
General Criteria and Requirements of HQS
The housing standards cover 13 general aspects of rental property living conditions, including:
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Living Space & Home Security
- Heating & Cooling
- Lighting & Electrical Fixtures
- Structural Integrity
- Air Quality
- Plumbing Fixtures
- Lead-Based Paint
- Property Access
- Neighborhood Condition
- Pest Infestation
- Smoke Detectors
How are These Housing Standards Enforced?
To make sure that landlords are able to meet these standards, HQS inspections will be carried out on rental housing for subsidized tenants.
There are four scenarios where an HQS inspection will be conducted:
Initial Inspection: When an HCV applicant/participant informs the SHC that they would like to rent a particular rental property.
Annual Inspection: HQS inspections are conducted yearly on rental properties that house HCV participants.
Complaint Inspection: Conducted if the tenant or a member of the public complains to SHC that the rental property fails to meet HUD’s housing standards.
Quality Control Inspection: Conducted by a supervisor to ensure that each inspector is conducting accurate and complete inspections and that there is consistency in the application of HQS.
