HCV Inspections

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

If you want to rent your property to a family who has a Housing Choice Voucher, your unit must pass a health and safety inspection. What they are looking for is to make sure that your property meets the Housing Quality Standards that HUD has set. Here are five FAQs about what happens during the inspection.

Who Conducts the Tyler Housing Choice Voucher Inspections?

If you are attempting to rent your property to a family with a housing choice voucher your property will have to undergo aTHA inspection.

These inspections will be conducted by:

A staff member of the Tyler Housing Agency, or
An outside Inspector the THA has hired.

When Are These THA Inspections Conducted?

The Tyler Housing Agency will usually conduct housing inspections at the following times:

Before a family with a housing choice voucher moves into a unit. It is done to make sure that the unit complies with HUD's Housing Quality Standards.
Biennial Inspection after a family with a housing choice voucher has moved into a unit.
When a family complains about a health or safety condition at the property.
When a landlord complains about a health or safety condition at the property.

The PHA will usually send you a notice in advance of the inspection, which states the date and time when the inspection will take place.

What Are the THA Inspectors Looking For?

When conducting the inspection, the inspector will be assessing the unit to determine if it complies with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards. These standards are set forth to make sure the property is safe for the Housing Choice Voucher family.

The Housing Quality Standards include 13 areas that the inspector must examine. These areas are known as performance requirements.

They include:

Sanitary Facilities
Food Preparation and Refuse Disposal
Space and Security
Thermal Environment
Illumination and Electricity
Structure and Materials
Interior Air Quality
Water Supply
Lead-Based Paint
Access
Site and Neighborhood
Sanitary Conditions
Smoke Detectors

HUD includes criteria for each requirement, but the inspectors must also use their own judgment to determine if the unit complies with all requirements or if there are hazards present.

Are Pass and Fail the Only Options?

When determining if an item meets HUD’s health and safety standards, the inspector has three options. He or she can:

Pass It– No further action needs to be taken on this item.
Fail It- This item needs to be remedied to comply with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards.
Mark It as Inconclusive- An inspector can mark an item as inconclusive. It can be done for a couple of reasons, but it means that the inspector needs more information from the property owner. Once this information is given, the inspector will then pass or fail this item.

For example, an inspector could mark the safety of a boiler as inconclusive because he or she could not access the boiler because it was in a locked room. Once the inspector is granted access to this room, he or she can determine if it meets health and safety requirements.

What Happens If the unit Fail the Inspection?

Even if only one item fail on the Housing Choice Voucher inspection checklist, the unit will fail the inspection. After the inspection, you will be given a list of all items that have failed and why. You will be given the opportunity to remedy the violations by a specific date.

Once you have fixed the item or items, you can then contact the inspector, who will come to re-inspect the unit. He or she will determine if you have fixed the item appropriately by passing the unit or will fail the item again or mark it as inconclusive if further action is needed. If you fail to remedy the violations, your housing contract with the PHA will be violated, and the family will be given the opportunity to move.

For additional information about HCV Inspections, please contact City of Tyler Neighborhood Services Inspection Supervisor John Thompson at 903-531-1332 or use our contact form.

More Information

Forms

Special Inspection Request

Visual Assessment Training Course

This course is required for those who will serve as a proxy during Remote Virtual Inspections (RVI) conducted on behalf of a Housing Inspector.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires federally-funded tenant-based Section 8 rental assistance and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Programs to complete the assessment course prior to the RVI.

The assessment focuses on the health impact of lead which is poisonous and can cause serious damage to nervous systems and internal organs. Proxies/ visual assessors are required to receive and complete training prior to performing visual assessments of a housing unit for deteriorated paint which must identified and stabilized. This will be performed onsite by the proxy with the virtual assistance of the Housing Inspector(s).

The assessment focuses primarily on specific properties and specific individuals as identified below:

1. Properties/ Housing constructed or built prior to the year 1978, and

2. Properties/ Housing units occupied by a child age 6 years (including unborn children during pregnancy terms expected to reside in the home/ unit),

The risk from lead poisoning is greatest in children under the age of six. Young children do not understand the risks of deteriorated lead-based paint. This requires action that must be taken in order to protect and keep them safe.

It is also important to note that anyone can be affected by lead besides young children. Pregnant women are also high risk as women can pass lead on to their babies during pregnancy.

According to lead poisoning statistics in America:

· Deteriorated paint allows lead to be accessible to children,

· Children living in older housing units are poisoned more frequently, and

· Over 800,000 young children have lead poisoning.

Please click on or open the file named HUD Visual Assessment (RVI) to begin the training. After completion, please contact your Housing Inspector to receive proof/ certificate of completion.