Physical Inspections Reveal Common Non-Compliance Problems
IRS Section 42 requires that LIHTC units be maintained in a habitable condition and in a rent-ready state. Therefore, as a service to property owners and managers, the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) issued a memo listing some of the most common physical inspection non-compliance issues it identified during 2008.
The memo broke the information out into two lists: inspections conducted by a third-party inspection and problems found by IHCDA pre-8609 inspection reports. Among some of the problems found by a third-party inspector were:
- Fogged thermo pane windows
- Missing/damaged windows and window screens
- Smoke detectors missing or missing batteries
- Mold/mildew present
- Drives/parking areas in need of seal-coating/striping/repairs
- Inoperable/malfunctioning appliances
- Loose plumbing fixtures
Among some of the problems found from the IHCDA pre-8609 physical inspection reports were:
- Screws installed in the clothes dryer exhaust ducts
- Water heater safety valve piping indirectly connecting to a source of contamination
- Bathroom moisture exhaust fans inoperable and/or disconnected
- Fire-rated doors propped open or would not close fully and latch
- Flammable storage cabinets not being electrically bonded/grounded
- Loose/worn out electrical switches