Section 8 inspection advice

[Charlie Gonzalez]

Good afternoon everyone!

Kindly looking for some advice on what to look out for when it comes to section 8 inspections in Rochester, New York. Specifically Monroe county. What are you guys commonly seeing get dinged for repairs or updates? And what are some best tips and practices to look out for? Thanks so much for the help!

[Carini Rochester]

Peeling paint was always difficult. I had surfaces that just wouldn't hold paint. Porch floor, painted foundation exterior, bathroom ceiling. I would have to paint these locations every inspection on one property. The less paint the better. Don't paint any exterior pressure treated wood.

[Andrew Syrios]

As long as everything works (lights, plumbing, etc.) and there are no hazards (like an open ground) the big things are peeling paint (particularly on window sills) and smoke detectors. So make sure to have those things taken care of.

Here's HUD's inspection checklist which would be good to review and keep in mind. https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/52580.PDF 

[Charlie Gonzalez]

Quote from @Carini Rochester:

Peeling paint was always difficult. I had surfaces that just wouldn't hold paint. Porch floor, painted foundation exterior, bathroom ceiling. I would have to paint these locations every inspection on one property. The less paint the better. Don't paint any exterior pressure treated wood.

 Thanks Carini. Much appreciated. How quickly are you seeing inspectors come out once RFTA is approved?

[Carini Rochester]

I have no info on that.  I sold my one house that had been section 8 last year, and my tenant had improved her income, so she hadn't been sec 8 for about a year before that. I just remember thinking that the Rochester inspectors seemed a little too strict, interpreting every rule as harshly as possible. It was an old house and it was costly to keep it to the standards for Sec. 8. My view was that if I was going to do Sec 8 again the house would really have to be rehabbed with their inspection process in mind to minimize the impact of their inspections. Rochester Housing Authority will give you their inspection checklist, I'm pretty sure.