ATK Inspections — sample HQS / NSPIRE packet
ATK Inspections and ATK Enterprises are trade names of Shaun Atkinson. Contact: [email protected] — email/form only.
A. Cover and assignment
| Field | Fictional sample entry |
|---|---|
| Prepared for | Sample Landlord LLC (fictional) |
| Primary unit | 100 Example St, Unit 2B, Sampletown, OH 00000 (fictional) |
| Tenant | Redacted — fictional placeholder, not an actual resident |
| Census tract | N/A — fictional address |
| Year built | 1990 — fictional |
| Date of Request | 2026-03-05 — fictional |
| Date of Inspection | 2026-03-12 — fictional |
| Date of Last Inspection | N/A — Initial |
| PHA | |
| Inspector | Shaun Atkinson / ATK Inspections |
| Programs illustrated | (1) HQS Initial under a hypothetical agency contract; (2) independent NSPIRE readiness review of the SAME Unit 2B |
The two primary-unit sections demonstrate different reporting frameworks, not two official determinations or an automatic conversion of an HQS result into an NSPIRE score. A separate Maple Court PH/MF annex illustrates scored-property concepts and is not this voucher unit or an actual property inspection.
B. HQS Initial — agency-contract sample
Summary Decision = Fail. Three failed items are illustrated below. All remaining checklist items/categories are assumed Pass / Yes solely for this fictional sample. No inconclusive items are illustrated. An actual field inspection must record every applicable item; unobserved conditions cannot be presumed to pass.
| Checklist category | Sample rating | Short HQS-style comment |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | Pass / Yes | All remaining items satisfactory in this fictional scenario. |
| Kitchen | Fail — electrical item only | Kitchen counter GFCI does not reset or supply power. Have qualified personnel correct and verify operation. Other kitchen items Pass / Yes. |
| Bathroom | Pass / Yes | All items satisfactory in this fictional scenario. |
| All other rooms used for living | Fail — bedroom smoke alarm only | Bedroom smoke alarm missing. Install compliant alarm and verify operation. All other room items Pass / Yes. |
| Secondary rooms not used for living | Pass / Yes | All items satisfactory in this fictional scenario. |
| Heating and plumbing | Fail — water heater safety item only | Water heater temperature-pressure relief (TPR) valve discharge piping missing. Have qualified personnel install compliant discharge piping. Other heating/plumbing items Pass / Yes. |
| Building exterior | Pass / Yes | All items satisfactory in this fictional scenario. |
| General health and safety | Pass / Yes | All remaining items satisfactory; the three exceptions above are not duplicated as additional failures. |
Administrative checks: Utilities on? Yes. Access available? Yes. Other checklist questions? Pass / Yes in this fictional scenario. Follow-up required? Yes, for the three cited failures. PHA remains intentionally blank.
Form HUD-52580 / 52580-A is completed when required by the agency's HQS assignment. This is an illustrative summary, not a completed HUD form or a substitute for required paperwork. Confirm the agency's accepted form and edition. Initial fail → repair → agency-directed re-inspection is an HQS workflow; it is not a promise of an NSPIRE outcome.
C. NSPIRE readiness review — SAME fictional Unit 2B
Independent readiness review only — not the official PHA/HUD inspection. No score promised or issued. Findings are organized by inspectable area and severity. Severity must be verified against the current HUD standard, exact condition and applicable PHA requirements; an HQS failure does not mechanically establish an NSPIRE severity.
| ID | Area | Fictional finding | Illustrative NSPIRE severity | Readiness action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-01 | Unit | Bedroom smoke alarm missing | Life-Threatening (LT) | Address immediately; verify compliant installation and operation. |
| U-02 | Unit | Kitchen counter GFCI inoperable; no reset/power | Severe | Qualified electrical evaluation and correction; verify protection. |
| U-03 | Unit | Water heater TPR discharge piping missing | Moderate | Qualified plumbing correction; document installation. |
| I-01 | Inside | Associated common corridor and systems serving Unit 2B reviewed | No deficiency illustrated | No severity assigned to a non-deficiency. |
| O-01 | Outside | Associated egress route and exterior serving Unit 2B reviewed | No deficiency illustrated | No severity assigned to a non-deficiency. |
Severity key: Life-Threatening / Severe / Moderate / Low. A Low finding is not invented just to fill a category. See the separate Maple Court annex for an illustrative Low finding.
Separate voucher strip — HCV / PBV / Mod Rehab
- Outcome model: Notice PIH 2026-18 says voucher inspections “are not numerically scored, and NSPIRE retains pass/fail indicators.” The scoring/ranking process in 24 CFR 5.711(a) does not apply to HCV, PBV or Mod Rehab. Low deficiencies are informational and still pass for voucher purposes; do not market NSPIRE as one simple pass/fail product.
- Repair clocks: Under the voucher framework / 24 CFR 982.404, Life-Threatening conditions require correction within 24 hours after owner notification; Severe and Moderate generally within 30 calendar days, or a PHA-approved extension consistent with policy. Follow the program/PHA notice. This fictional readiness visit does not issue an official deadline or restart an existing clock. Do not wait for an official inspection to address hazards.
- Transition: National voucher NSPIRE compliance date is February 1, 2027 (90 FR 46911; PIH 2026-18). A PHA may adopt earlier; read its notice and Administrative Plan.
- PHA LT additions: A PHA may ask HUD to add Life-Threatening conditions. HUD-approved additions must be identified in the PHA Administrative Plan; the PHA cannot remove HUD's LT items.
- Dispute path: Owners use the PHA Administrative Plan / HAP process, not a 5.711 technical review. Participant-family informal review/hearing rules are in 24 CFR 982.554 / 982.555. A hearing is not required for a unit noncompliance finding, except the family-caused HQS breach termination exception. This is not an owner appeal route.
D. Photo log — captions only
No actual photographs or resident information are included.
1. Photo 1 placeholder: Unit 2B bedroom — location of missing smoke alarm (U-01). 2. Photo 2 placeholder: Unit 2B kitchen counter — GFCI that would not reset (U-02). 3. Photo 3 placeholder: Unit 2B utility closet — water heater TPR valve without discharge piping (U-03).
E. Separate scored-property annex — Maple Court PH/MF example
SAMPLE / FICTIONAL / NOT AN OFFICIAL HUD OR PHA REPORT. Adapted from the NSPIRE agent contribution reproduced in NSPIRE-blocks-for-HQS.md.
Property: Maple Court Apartments (fictional), 100 Sample Lane, Dayton, OH 00000 (fictional). Building A, Units 101–104. Prepared for Sample Landlord LLC (fictional). Review date: 2026-03-12 (fictional). Program context: HUD multifamily, REAC-scored NSPIRE, not HCV/PBV. The PH/MF concepts below must not be applied as a score to Unit 2B.
An independent readiness write-up uses severity, inspectable area and scoring concepts from HUD's Scoring Notice. Public housing and HUD multifamily official NSPIRE inspections are scored 0–100. This annex is not a REAC inspection, not a score and not a guarantee.
| ID | Area | Location (fictional) | Observed condition | Severity from contributed illustration | Illustrative Scoring Notice Table 1 weight | PH/MF repair clock under 5.711(c) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-01 | Unit | Apt 102 — bedroom smoke alarm | No working smoke alarm in sleeping room | Life-Threatening | Unit LT — highest unit weight class; no numeric weight asserted here | 24 hours unless HUD variation |
| S-02 | Unit | Apt 101 — kitchen GFCI | Dead counter receptacle; no reset | Severe | Unit Severe 14.8 | 24 hours unless standard says otherwise or HUD variation |
| S-03 | Unit | Apt 103 — bath exhaust | Exhaust system does not respond to the control switch (no airflow when activated); no openable window or alternate dehumidification noted in this fictional sample | Moderate | Unit Moderate 5.5 | 30 days (Ventilation standard; PH/MF 5.711(c) Moderate) |
| S-04 | Inside | Building A — common laundry | Elevated moisture level on interior surface (fictional meter reading above ambient; no mold-like substance cited on this row) | Low | Inside Low 2.2 | 60 days (Mold-like Substance Def 4 — Inside = Low) |
| S-05 | Outside | Building A — north stair | Handrail has movement at anchors when tested (not secure) | Moderate | Outside Moderate 4.5 | 30 days (Handrail Def 2 — Outside = Moderate) |
NSPIRE re-check 2026-11-05: S-03–S-05 rewritten to match published HUD standards (Ventilation V3.0 8/11/23; Mold-like Substance V3.0 8/11/23; Handrail V2.2). Prior S-04 “missing cover / exposed lamp” as Low was inaccurate (Lighting – Interior deficiencies are Moderate; exposed conductors can be Life-Threatening under Electrical – Conductor). Prior S-05 “Guardrail loose” as Moderate was wrong — Guardrail Def 2 (“not securely attached…”) is Life-Threatening (24 hours). The sample now uses Handrail for the Outside Moderate teaching row. Do not label an insecure guardrail as Moderate. Moisture staining is not auto-bundled into the ventilation row; mold-like substance size bands can raise Unit severity independently. Illustration only — not a finding on any real property.
Scoring exception: Smoke-alarm defects are Life-Threatening and require prompt correction, but the Scoring Notice treats them as non-scored defects with a score annotation. The Unit LT weight class shown for S-01 is a severity reference, not a smoke-alarm deduction. Check current scoring exceptions before using any Table 1 weight.
Illustrative Table 1 weights, not calculated deductions: Unit Severe 14.8, Unit Moderate 5.5, Inside Low 2.2, Outside Moderate 4.5. HUD's method weights severity × area and normalizes deductions by units inspected. Teaching concept: 100 − (total deductions ÷ units inspected), floored at zero. No property score is computed here. ATK does not issue HUD scores.
A score below 60 fails on scored properties. A separate Unit Threshold may also force a failing score. HUD’s notice states “30 points or more” in §II.E, but Example 2 and Table 8 say “over 30.” If a result lands at exactly 30, confirm with HUD or an attorney; do not resolve that boundary in marketing. Proposed scoring changes are not in effect unless HUD publishes a final notice.
For PH/MF, LT and Severe findings generally require correction within 24 hours, with the stated exceptions; Moderate generally 30 days and Low 60 days. LT/Severe correction certification and evidence are generally due within two business days after the correction deadline. Follow the actual standard, HUD notice and official report.
A PH/MF technical review request must be received electronically by the 45th calendar day after the official inspection report is provided (24 CFR 5.711(d)). An ATK readiness report does not trigger or extend this official-report window. Assemble contemporaneous photos, measurements, and objective expert material; merely fixing a deficiency after inspection is not a basis for technical review. ATK does not file as a party's representative or promise a score change.
F. Next steps and closing
1. Address immediate hazards promptly with qualified personnel. Read the actual agency notice and applicable standard before assigning official deadlines. 2. Track each correction, responsible party, completion date and supporting evidence; do not enter personal resident data in a public inquiry form. 3. For agency-contract HQS, submit the required forms and request re-inspection under the agency's workflow. For private readiness work, arrange the official visit through HUD/PHA or the assigned provider. 4. Keep voucher Administrative Plan/HAP questions separate from the PH/MF technical review path. For legal rights or disputes, consult counsel.
Not legal advice. ATK does not represent parties before HUD or a PHA. No outcome guaranteed; HUD or the PHA makes the final determination. ATK is not HUD, REAC or a PHA. This sample and readiness review do not replace an official inspection.
Inspector: Shaun Atkinson / ATK Inspections. Ohio Home Inspector License OHI.2019006734 is a state license only, not HUD/NSPIRE authority.
ATK Inspections and ATK Enterprises are trade names of Shaun Atkinson.
HQS inspections, NSPIRE readiness reviews and consulting for agencies and landlords. On-site. Pass/fail applies where an agency contracts ATK for HQS inspections.
Email/form only: [email protected].