Housing Quality Inspections

Columbia Housing Authority > Housing Choice Voucher Program > Housing Quality Inspections

To ensure the quality of our Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rentals, the CHA conducts a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection before you move in, and once every year after that.

Our goal is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing to all of our participants. If you have any questions about your scheduled HQS inspection and/or inspection results, please call the McCright Inspection Call Center at (573) 234-4543 or fax to (423) 265-6222.

When your annual inspection is due, you will receive a letter from our McCright Inspection team telling you what day and time they will be there. It is the responsibility of the Section 8 participant to be present for the inspection. Failing to be present for the inspection will result in a failed inspection. A second failed inspection as a result of not being present for the inspection will result in the termination of the participant’s Section 8 voucher assistance.

Our Housing Inspection Team

Effective January 3, 2017, McCright & Associates will be conducting all HQS inspections for the Columbia Housing Authority (CHA).

About McCright & Associates

McCright & Associates was founded in 1988 and is a woman and veteran owned company who has worked with numerous agencies nationwide since 1988 and provided cost effective, quality inspection services. This performance includes more than 1,500,000 inspections conducted successfully, within budget and on time. We look forward to providing the same exemplary services to the CHA.

On-Line Inspection Reports

CHA participants and landlords will have access to McCright’s Inspection Results Web Portal that allows them to view and print their inspection results from one convenient online source.

Process for Initial Inspection

Once the landlord has provided the HCV specialist with the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA), and the HCV specialist has determined that the rent is affordable and reasonable, the HCV specialist will request an initial inspection be conducted.

The HQS Inspector will contact the landlord to schedule a Housing Quality Standard inspection of the unit. These inspections make sure that the housing is decent, safe, and sanitary. All utilities must be turned on at this time in the landlord’s name. In some instances, the inspector may find items that must be fixed before the unit is approved for the program. In that case, the potential landlord will receive a letter by mail stating the deficiencies that will need to be remedied.

The landlord will be given a reasonable amount of time to fix the problems, and the unit will be inspected again once the inspector has been notified by the landlord that the repairs have been made. You should not move in before the unit passes inspection. If you do, you will be responsible for paying the entire rent amount due for that period.

Landlords and tenants should use the HQS checklist below to prepare for the inspection. Preparing for an inspection saves you time and avoids the need for a second re-inspection.

HQS Checklist for Landlords and Tenants

Preparing for Your Inspection

Tenants should also review the list below to prepare for their annual inspection. The simple housekeeping practices listed below will help you be prepared for these inspections, and create a clean and safe home for you and your family.

Check your smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed. For your protection, smoke detectors must be hooked-up and working properly at all times.
Report all maintenance items to the landlord or manager prior to the inspection. The items may be able to be repaired before the annual inspection takes place.
Thoroughly clean your cooking range, range hood and filter – inside and out – as often as necessary.
Defrost and clean your refrigerator at least once a month or as needed. Never use a knife or a sharp tool to chip off ice! A pan of hot water or fan work best in speeding up the defrosting process.
Clean both sides of all windows regularly, as you are able.
Thoroughly clean and sanitize the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, tub and toilet, and remove hard-water stains on a regular basis.
Wash and clean walls and all painted woodwork on a regular basis.
Vacuum or sweep, and mop all floors on a regular basis.
To help prevent infestation by cockroaches, fleas, mice, rats and other disease-carriers, remove all boxes, paper, garbage and other rubbish to proper garbage and recycling containers on a regular basis. Also remember to properly dispose of discarded furniture, appliances, bulky rubbish and junked automobiles.
Maintain all sidewalks, lawns, shrubbery, and grounds (front, sides, flowerbeds and rear of the house/apartment) in a decent clean condition by keeping the lawn mowed, shrubbery trimmed, and free of garbage and debris.
Be certain that all rooms are accessible to the inspector.
Please have your pet contained/restrained for the time period of your inspection.
Be present for your inspection or have an adult (18 years of age or older) present to let the inspector into the unit.

Standards for Wear and Tear: Serious Violations

If the condition of your apartment or house has deteriorated beyond normal wear and tear due to neglect or damage that you or your guests have caused, we may propose termination of your HCV assistance. Below are items that CHA considers to be serious violations of the family obligations section of our agreement.

Destroyed walls – large holes; mold due to tenant neglect; excessive grease; graffiti
Destroyed floors – serious carpet stains that cannot be removed with a good cleaning (bleach, dye, paint, burns, etc.); torn tile; badly stained wood floors (holes, punctures, burns, etc.)
Broken light fixtures due to tenant abuse or neglect
Broken doors or doorjambs (holes, large gouges, etc.)
Broken windows due to tenant abuse
Overly dirty or broken appliances due to tenant abuse or neglect (stoves, refrigerators)
Excessive garbage and trash storage, which could cause infestation (cannot be picked up by one individual within one or two hours)
Turned-off utilities for which the participant is responsible
Broken bathroom fixtures (removed or broken tank covers, faucets, shower doors/rods)
Holes or stains in a ceiling due to tenant abuse or neglect
Flea-infestation from pets, etc., due to tenant neglect
Burnt countertops due to tenant abuse
Neglected landscape (if tenant is responsible for yard up-keep)
General abuse and/or neglect of rental unit by participant family
Any other failures of health and safety standards that are tenant-caused

It is important to remember that you and any other persons in your household are responsible for taking care of the unit you reside in. It is important to care for the property in a respectful and responsible manner.

Requesting a Complaint Inspection

If you have a serious complaint about the condition of your unit, report this to your landlord in writing immediately and provide a copy of the letter to the Housing Choice Voucher Manager, Tawanda Edwards, at 201 Switzler Street, Columbia, MO 65203.

If your complaint is not addressed in a timely manner and you would like the CHA to conduct a “complaint inspection,” you can submit a request in writing to the CHA Administrative Office at 201 Switzler Street Columbia MO 65203 or forward an email request to the Housing Choice Voucher Manager, Tawanda Edwards.