HPD Section 8: Housing Choice Voucher Program
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How often are Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections?
HPD inspects subsidized apartments prior to lease up and at least once every two years thereafter to ensure
compliance with federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS) requirements. These standards establish a
minimum basis for habitability and must be maintained in order for the owner to receive monthly Housing
Assistance Payments (HAP). All Section 8 participants are required to provide access to HPD inspectors to
allow them to perform the inspection. Inspections may also be completed at your request. If necessary, you
can call 311 to request an inspection.
What happens if I do not allow the inspectors in my apartment?
If you fail to provide access to an entire apartment for an inspector two times in a 12 month period, it is
considered a breach of tenant (participant) obligation and may result in the termination of your subsidy. If you
do not provide access to a specific room, it will be considered a tenant caused failure. See below what
happens when you have a tenant caused failure.
What am I responsible for during Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections?
You are responsible for maintaining Housing Quality Standards (HQS) requirements and HPD will hold you
responsible for damage or defects that cause a unit to fail inspection. HPD generally holds tenants
responsible for the following HQS failures:
• Nonfunctioning smoke detectors (battery-operated and battery dead, or electric and participant
pays electrical utilities) or missing smoke detectors (when it was present at last inspection)
• No electricity or gas (tenant pays utilities)
• Double cylinder lock on exit door
• Illegal gates on fire escape windows
• Debris that blocks access to exit doors or fire escape windows
• Kitchen grease that constitutes a fire hazard
• Damage caused by tenant or tenant's guest
What happens if my apartment fails a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection?
If a unit fails a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection, you and the owner will be notified of what
specific failures were found, whether the failures are the responsibility of the owner or the tenant to correct,
and the correction deadline. Tenant-caused failures will be re-inspected within 30 days, and a notice with an
appointment date will be mailed to the tenant and owner. Owner-caused failures may be self-certified as
corrected within 30 days. HPD will mail certification of correction forms to the owner to complete by the HQS
deadline. Section 8 participants must provide their landlord access to make the necessary repairs for
apartment to pass the HQS inspection. Tenants will be notified when an owner certifies the correction of a
failure item and tenants may contact HPD to dispute the correction of the failure.
If an owner fails to correct HQS failures within the 30 day period or any HPD approved extension, HPD MUST
abate (suspend), the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) until the failures are corrected. If the HAP
abatement period is a total of 180 days or more, you will be required to move and locate a new unit that
meets HQS. The owner is not responsible for tenant-caused breaches of HQS. If you, the tenant, fail to
correct a tenant-caused HQS failure or fail to provide access to your apartment, HPD will follow its termination
of subsidy procedure to terminate your participation in the program.
Am I responsible for paying the HPD portion of the rent during the abatement period?
When a landlord does not correct an HQS failure within the given timeframe, HPD will provide notice to the
tenant and owner that the HAP will be abated (suspended) the first of the month following the correction
period. The notice states that you, the tenant, are not responsible for HPD’s portion of the abated rent. The
landlord cannot ask you to pay HPD’s portion. Tenants must continue to pay their tenant share of the rent
during the abatement period to remain in compliance with their family obligations. If faced with any court
action for arrears resulting from abatement, it is critical that you seek representation and inform the court that
you receive Section 8 subsidy.
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS (HQS) INSPECTIONS