Section 8 inspections question

[Vicki Gleitz]

I am helping my son to fix up his rental. He is considering section 8.  The house has a newer roof, newer windows, electrical and plumbing. New flooring,painting, countertops, all around refurbishing is being worked on now.  This place will be cute,clean, and beautiful.

I would like to know what some of the problems are that section 8 landlords have had to fix before being approved, as some seem a little strange and easy to miss [such as a drip pan under the stove.  I didn't even know that there was supposed to be a drip pan under the stove or even what they look like]  I read where someone failed because the cabinet boxes were not freshly painted.  

What are the things most commonly missed at inpection?

[Bradley Bogdan]

My local PHA uses the following list to prep landlords for the general expectation of the inspection: 

Windows and Doors

• The windows must not be damaged or missing
• All ground floor windows must have locks
• All doors leading outside must have locks and deadbolts

Flooring, Ceilings and Walls

• The flooring, walls and ceilings must not have any serious defects such as serious bulging, sagging, large cracks, loose surface or other major damages
• The flooring must not have any serious damages and cracks that will cause someone to trip and fall (peeling/lifting linoleum is often what flunks on this point)
• The ceiling and roof must not leak. Stained ceilings are often a tell-tale sign of leakage
• The interior walls of the property must not have chipped or peeling paint

Plumbing and Sanitation

• The property must have a fixed water basin, flushing toilet and shower/bath tub
• There must be no plumbing or water leaks
• There has to be hot and cold running water in both the kitchen and bathroom
• The bathroom must have either a window or exhaust fan
• The water heater must have a discharge tube that drains to a floor pan, outside, sink, or other appropriate place. 

Lighting and Electrical Fixtures

• There must be at least 1 working light each in the kitchen and bathroom
• All electrical outlets must be working and come with cover plates
• There must be a working heating system for the property

Structural and Fire Safety

• There must be a working smoke detector for every rental unit and on every storey of the property (and no non-working ones!)
• All stairs and railings must be secure
• If you own a rental building - The walkways, porches, lifts and other common areas have to be properly maintained to avoid tenant injury.

I added a couple things there (I think my PHA copied the list off of a website), but the last point I would add is if there are things that don't work but you've left because they don't negatively impact a renter (such as an old wall heater, old smoke detectors, etc) pull  those out. Those often cause a unit to fail, but are obviously easy fixes. 

Good Luck!