Public housing is inspected against the NSPIRE standards on a cycle set by the property's own score

ph.physical_inspection.nspire_standards_and_inspection_cycle · v1.0.0

All public housing programs are subject to the national standards for the physical inspection of real estate. The items and components located inside the building, outside the building and within the units must be functionally adequate, operable and free of health and safety hazards, and the inspection scope covers the inside, the outside and the unit. The entity conducting the inspection must inspect and score the property in accordance with the standards and procedures the Secretary publishes in the Federal Register, and must identify each deficiency as Life Threatening, Severe, Moderate or Low. A property must be inspected before it is approved for participation, and thereafter annually unless an extended cycle applies: a property scoring 90 points or higher is a standard 1 performing property inspected once every three years, a property scoring at least 80 but below 90 is a standard 2 performing property inspected once every two years, and a property scoring below 80 is a standard 3 performing property inspected annually. An inspection must be conducted no earlier than three months before and no later than three months after the anniversary of the previous inspection. Small rural PHAs are assessed under 24 CFR part 902 subpart H on a triennial cycle, and small PHAs under 24 CFR 902.13(a). Where a PHA is designated a troubled performer all its projects receive a physical condition inspection regardless of individual project scores. All PHAs must annually self-inspect their properties including all units to ensure the units are maintained in accordance with the standards, must maintain the results for three years and must provide them to HUD on request; that self-inspection is independent of the HUD inspection. All PHAs must give HUD or its representative full and free access to all HUD-assisted properties and to all units and appurtenances, whether or not the resident is home, and a PHA that fails to provide access must be given a physical condition score of zero for the projects involved. No reinspection fee may be passed along to the household residing in the unit.

Confidence

high

Effective from

2023-07-01

Consequence model

agency finding with cure

Last reviewed

2026-08-30