How can you help?

Landlords and property owners play a critical role in ending homelessness and providing long term housing solutions for all, especially children. Without safe, quality and affordable housing, the goal of ending homelessness cannot be met.

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, The City of Detroit, Michigan State Housing Development Authority and all homeless providers are working towards an aggressive goal of ending homelessness for all, and we need your help. If you have a rental property, we encourage you to please consider participating in our program to assist veterans and their families live independent lives.

Each unit rented to a NLSM client must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. This checklist is a tool for owners to prepare their unit for an HQS inspection and highlights some of the common violations found during unit inspections. The items on this checklist must be working or completed prior to the HQS inspection:

• The unit must be empty/vacant from previous tenants
• Utilities (water, gas, electric) must be turned on for the completion of the inspection
• Chipping or peeling paint must not be present inside or outside the unit
• Stove must be clean, secure and in working condition (if present)
• Refrigerator must be clean and in working condition with a door seal (if present)
• There must be a permanently installed and working heating system
• Hot and cold running water in the kitchen and bathroom(s)
• There must be a shower or bathtub that works
• There must be a flush toilet that works, is securely mounted and does not leak
• The bathroom must have either an outside window or an exhaust fan vented to the outside
• There must not be any plumbing issues/leaks
• There must not be any plugged drains (please check for slow drains beforehand)
• All plumbing fixtures must have P-traps to prevent sewer gas from leaking to the unit
• All windows and exterior doors must open and close as designed, and must have working locks. Doubled keyed dead bolts are not permitted
• Each living space must have two means of fire egress (i.e. door & window)
• All electrical outlets/switches must have cover plates and be in good working condition
• All ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) must work properly, including kitchen, bath and laundry areas
• There must not be any missing, broken, or cracked windows in the home
• The roof must not leak. Indications of a leak are discolorations or stains on the ceiling
• The hot water heater tank must have a temperature pressure relief valve with a downward discharge pipe made of galvanized steel or copper tubing that is between six inches to eight inches from the floor, or directed outside the unit (no PVC). CPVC is acceptable
• All floor coverings cannot be torn or have holes that can cause an accident
• If there are stairs and railings, they must be secure
• Four or more exterior stairs must have handrails 34 inches to 38 inches from the ground
• Walk offs or porches 30 inches above ground must have guard rails 36 inches from the ground
• There must be working smoke detectors properly mounted on each level of the unit including the basement and walk up attics (please check local codes for proper placement)
• All security bars and windows must have a quick release mechanism
• All sliding glass doors must have a lock or security bar on the door that works
• All construction/rehabilitation (painting, carpet replacement, etc.) must be completed
• Owner will certify the unit is free from bedbugs, roaches, rodents or any pests
• There must be stepping stones or walkway to the unit
• All Exigent Health and Safety issues must be corrected

This brief listing is for information purposes only and is not intended as a complete listing.

PLEASE CHECK HUD AND LOCAL CODES FOR OTHER REQUIREMENTS.