Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections ensure that units stay safe, sanitary and livable.

**NSPIRE STANDARDS TO REPLACE HQS INSPECTIONS**

Effective December 29, 2024, all HCV units will be required to be in compliance with the National Standards for the Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) Smoke Alarm standard for either hard wired or sealed, 10-year batteries smoke alarms.

Key points about the NSPIRE smoke alarm standard:

• Hardwired or Sealed Batteries: Smoke alarms must be either hardwired to the electrical system or powered by a sealed, 10-year battery.
• Compliance Date: The requirement for sealed batteries comes into effect on December 29, 2024.
• Reason for Change: This standard is intended to improve reliability and reduce fire hazards by ensuring smoke alarms are consistently powered and not reliant on replaceable batteries that might be neglected.

Effective October 1, 2025, the National Standards for the Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) rule will replace Housing Quality Standards (HQS) completely.

The final rule streamlines standards and creates a unified assessment between the HUD Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), and Multifamily Housing Programs. HCV landlords can expect the new model to address some of their previous concerns by increasing inspection consistency through an objective set of standards and prioritizing health, safety, and functional defects over appearance.

Some of the new standards that are different from HQS that landlords can expect to see include:

• Smoke alarms: Smoke alarms are required on each level of the home and inside each sleeping area.
  
• Carbon Monoxide alarms: Carbon monoxide alarms are required inside units and in unit inside areas such as hallways that contain a fuel-burning appliance or fireplace.
• Cosmetic deficiencies: Cosmetic deficiencies to a unit or its exterior are no longer considered a deficiency.
• List of life-threatening deficiencies: A list of deficiencies that are considered life threatening must be adopted by all PHAs. (The full list is available in the Federal Register in 85 FR 5458.)
• Setting minimum temperature requirements: If the inspection is on or between October 1 and March 31, and the permanently installed heating source is not working, or it is working but the interior temperature is below 64 degrees, that is considered a life-threatening deficiency. If the interior temperature is between 64 and 67.9 degrees, it is considered a non-life-threatening deficiency

For information on how to prepare for an National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspection and best practices to prevent and correct deficiencies before an inspector arrives, please refer to the following link:   PREPARING FOR AN NSPIRE INSPECTION

Initial Inspections

DHA conducts initial inspections to approve a unit for participation in the Housing Choice Voucher program. The unit must pass the HQS before any Housing Assistance Payments can be paid to the owner. DHA suggests that you and the landlord walk through the home and note any broken or damaged items so that they can be fixed before the inspection. If the unit does not pass, all failed items must be repaired, and a new inspection must be passed, before you move in.

Recertification Inspections

DHA has established biennial inspection schedules to ensure compliance with HQS and related HUD and DHA regulations and policies. DHA may allow more time if the unit needs major repairs. The landlord must begin to fix failed items considered life-threatening within 24 hours.

DHA will withhold its payment to your landlord if failed items are not fixed in the required time. You are not responsible for this portion of the rent. We will resume payments after the repairs are completed and the unit passes inspection. DHA will prorate payments from the date of the final inspection. The landlord is not eligible to receive held payments after repairs are made.

Although it is your landlord’s responsibility to keep the unit up to the inspection standards, you can be held responsible for damage you cause. Your landlord can require you to fix the damage or pay for its repair. To do so, your landlord must give you written notice, and send a copy of this notice to DHA. They must explain which items you must fix and by what date. We may terminate your voucher if you do not make the repairs within the time designated.

The participant or authorized representative (18 years or older) must be present at the inspection.  The inspector will not enter your home if a minor is home alone. If you miss or skip an inspection, a second inspection will be scheudled.  If you skip or miss the second inspection, your assistance may be terminated.

Quality Control Inspections

HUD requires that a sample of units be re-inspected to ensure that HQS is being enforced correctly and uniformly by all inspectors and those landlords who have self-certified their units.

Reporting Needed Repairs

You must notify the landlord in writing of the repairs needed. You may notify the landlord verbally of a repair problem, but it’s important to follow up with a written letter. If the landlord fails to make the proper repairs, report any serious problems to the town. The town or city clerk can direct you to the proper officials, usually the Code Enforcement Officer, Health Officer, or Building Inspector. Report fire hazards to the local Fire Chief.

A state law RSA 48–A:14 spells out minimum standards for rental property.

If you have contacted your landlord about a life safety issue, and they have not made the repair, you may contact the HCV Department to request a Special HQS Inspection.  You may request the inspection by emailing HCV@doverhousingauthority.org.  Do not call the HQS inspector directly.

Common Problems

Units sometimes fail inspection because landlords and tenants do not know the requirements or have not checked the unit’s condition. DHA encourages landlords to look over the unit and make needed repairs before the inspection. Examine these areas:

• Entry doors: All doors must lock securely. Door jambs and strike plates must work properly. Make sure your landlord covers gaps that let in air with weather stripping.
• Windows: Panes must not be broken or cracked. Windows designed to open must open and have a permanent lock attached. DHA will not accept sticks or thumb screws as locks.
• Electricity: The unit cannot have electrical hazards. All outlets and switches must have intact cover plates secured to the wall. Wiring cannot be exposed. All light fixtures must work and mount to the wall or ceiling. Breaker boxes cannot have exposed wires. Make sure your landlord fills all open spaces with knockouts or blank spacers.
• Oven and range: Clean the oven and range so that they are not a fire hazard. Burners must lay flat. All elements must work properly. Attach all knobs and dials to the appliances. Make sure your landlord installs filter screens in front of fans.
• Refrigerator: The rubber gasket around the door must be intact and fit snugly. Secure the kick plate at the base of the refrigerator.
• Heating and plumbing: The heating system must provide adequate heat. Clear heat sources of all items, such as furniture, bedding, and clothes. Plumbing fixtures (e.g., sinks, toilets, showers) must not leak. Your landlord must have any oil, gas, or propane furnace serviced at least once every two years. DHA requires your landlord to verify this service.
• Hot water heater: Heaters must have a pressure release valve. The discharge line must extend to within six inches of the floor. Discharge tubing must be galvanized steel, copper, or CPVC (not PVC). Wires cannot be exposed. (Ask your landlord to check all of these items.) Also make sure not store flammable material near the tank.
• Flooring: Floors must not have dry rot (often found in the bathroom around the bathtub and toilet). Carpet must not be frayed or torn. Make sure your landlord repairs or replaces vinyl, tile, or linoleum that poses a tripping hazard. They should also cover exposed carpet tacks and repair loose thresholds.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors: Each floor of the unit must have a smoke and carbon monoxide detector with a tester button. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, your landlord must mount an alarm designed for the deaf and hard of hearing in your bedroom.
• Ventilation: Bathrooms must have an operating fan or other ventilation source (e.g., a window).
• Decks, railings, and steps: Stairways with four or more steps require a handrail. The rail must be securely supported and run the length of the stairway. Decks, railings, and steps must not have dry rot or tripping hazards. Decks, steps, or porches more than 30 inches from the ground require railings.
• Paint: Units built before 1978 cannot have peeling or deteriorated paint inside or outside if you live with a child under age six.
• Infestation: A qualified extermination firm must inspect the unit if DHA cannot find the extent of an infestation. The firm must also treat the infestation, if necessary.

DHA will stop making payments to the landlord if your home does not pass the inspection. Payments will not start again until the landlord fixes all items in need of repair.