The housing unit selected by the family must meet an acceptable level of health and safety before the CHA can approve the unit. When the voucher holder finds a unit that it wishes to occupy and reaches an agreement with the landlord over the lease terms, the CHA must inspect the dwelling and determine that the rent requested is reasonable. CHA will inspect the subsidized unit annually to determine that it meets HQS.
New: Effective February 1, 2019, the following fail item will be a life threatening deficiency as opposed to a regular fail item.
Fuel burning water heater or heating, ventilation, or cooling system with missing, damaged, improper, or misaligned chimney or venting.
MOST COMMON HQS FAIL ITEMS
- Inoperable light fixtures and improperly wired electrical outlets (reverse polarity, open ground, hot neutral reverse, etc.)
- Deteriorated and unstable paint on surfaces (peeling, cracking, chipping, etc.) in units built prior to 1978 where children under the age of six reside or will reside
- Missing, inoperable or incorrectly mounted smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Broken or inoperable windows (cracked glass panes, broken locks, drafty frames, etc.)
- Exposed electrical wires/connections (light fixtures missing globes, electrical junction boxes missing cover plates or knockout plugs, breaker boxes with open sockets, etc.)
- Broken/faulty door locks and drafty doors
- Cutting hazards, including protruding sharp nails pipes/metals objects with jagged edges, deteriorated sheet metal, cracked glass blocks on windows, etc.
- Gaps/holes around heating system flue pipes and gas utility not in service
- Evidence of rodent and/or bug infestation
- Holes and large gaps (more than a quarter inch) on walls/ceilings/floors of living space areas
Find out the date and time frame of next inspection.
HCV participant families and property owners/managers can also receive inspection information by calling or sending a text message to 312-544-0302 (Inspection ID required). To contact the Inspections Department directly via email, click here.
For additional information, see the latest edition of the HQS Inspection Guidebook.
BIENNIAL INSPECTIONS
Starting in January 2018, the Chicago Housing Authority will now be conducting our HQS Inspections every other year as opposed to annually. The following units will still be required to have them done annually.
- Units with a child under the age of six; and
- Units owned by an owner currently on the Do Not Lease List
The transition process will be as follows:
- If the inspection is due in an odd numbered month (i.e. January or March) then the next HQS will take place in 2018, and then again in 2020.
- If the inspection is due in an even numbered month (i.e. February or April) then the next HQS will take place in 2019, and then in again 2021.
CHA’s policy in regards to Complaint Inspections will not be impacted by this, participants or owners can still request these at any time.
In addition, all owners have will now have the ability to self-certify for minor fails. Please click here for a list of minor fail items and here for HQS Self-Certification Form.
$75 RE-INSPECTION FEE
Landlords who have not resolved inspection failures that are their responsibility after the first re-inspection must pay a $75 fee before a second re-inspection can be scheduled. This fee can be paid electronically by clicking on the PayPal link. Once the fee is paid, the Inspections Department will contact you to reschedule your re-inspection appointment. Please be advised that if you pay by e-check, CHA will not schedule the inspection until the check has cleared. This may take up to 10 days.