Landlord guide · HQS / NSPIRE
Common HQS inspection fail items (and how to fix them before the PHA visit)
Most failed Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher inspections come down to the same short list of items. Fix these before the housing authority shows up and you avoid a failed HQS inspection, a re-inspection, and weeks of lost rent while the HAP contract waits.
Section 8 pre-inspection · Common HQS fail items · NSPIRE readiness · FAQ · Service area
1. Smoke alarms
Missing, dead, or painted-over alarms. Each level needs a working alarm; many Ohio programs (including Dayton-area PHAs) now ask for hardwired or 10-year sealed-battery alarms in and outside each sleeping area. Test every one and check the date stamp.
2. Carbon monoxide
Units with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage are expected to have CO alarms under current HUD rules. Add them near sleeping areas.
3. Electrical hazards
Missing outlet or switch cover plates, exposed or spliced wiring, open junction boxes, ungrounded three-prong outlets, no GFCI near sinks, and dead outlets. A $1 cover plate is one of the most common reasons a unit fails.
4. Windows
Cracked or broken panes, windows that won't stay open, missing locks on accessible windows, painted-shut sleeping-room windows needed for egress, and torn or missing screens where the program requires them.
5. Doors and security
Exterior doors that don't lock, gaps you can see daylight through, damaged frames, and double-keyed deadbolts that block a fire exit.
6. Water heater
Missing temperature/pressure relief valve or a discharge line that is too short or capped, missing seismic strap where required, gas venting problems, and combustibles stored nearby.
7. Heating
No working permanent heat source, a furnace that won't fire during the inspection, missing filters or covers, and rooms with no heat supply.
8. Plumbing
Active leaks, slow or clogged drains, a toilet that rocks or runs, no hot water at a fixture, and missing P-traps.
9. Stairs, rails, and porches
Missing handrails on four or more steps, loose railings, missing guardrails on porches or decks above about 30 inches, and broken treads.
10. Peeling paint (pre-1978 homes)
Deteriorated paint in a pre-1978 unit where a child under six will live triggers lead-safe requirements. Scraping it yourself the morning of the inspection usually makes it worse; it needs lead-safe work practices.
11. Pests and sanitation
Roaches, mice, bedbugs, heavy trash or debris, and no working range or refrigerator if the owner is supplying them.
12. Interior surfaces
Holes in walls or ceilings, water-stained or sagging ceilings, trip-hazard flooring, and mold-like growth.
What happens after a failed HQS inspection?
The housing authority sends a list of deficiencies and a deadline. You make the repairs and contact the PHA to schedule a re-inspection. For an initial (move-in) inspection the unit has to pass before the lease and HAP contract can start, so every failed item delays your first payment. For units already under contract, missing the repair deadline can lead to abatement of payments. Exact timelines are set by your PHA’s administrative plan.
NSPIRE changes the list a little
HUD is moving voucher programs from HQS to NSPIRE. Most of the items above still matter, but NSPIRE scores deficiencies by severity and adds items such as GFCI and CO expectations. See HQS vs NSPIRE and NSPIRE readiness.
Want a second set of eyes first?
A Section 8 pre-inspection from ATK walks the unit against the HQS/NSPIRE items above and gives you a plain fix list before the official inspection. Also see the printable Dayton landlord prep checklist.
ATK Inspections is an independent inspector. We are not a housing authority, not HUD, and not affiliated with GDPM or any PHA. The official HQS/NSPIRE result always comes from your program's own inspection.