ADDITIONAL HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS INFORMATION
SECTION 8 - HACSA
Lead-Based Paint - If you plan to rent a dwelling which was built before 1978 and if you have children under the age of six (6) and/or if a member of your household is pregnant, the unit will be inspected for lead-based paint hazards. The unit will fail inspection if any deteriorated paint (peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged or otherwise separated from the substrate) is found anywhere inside or outside the unit. Surfaces which will be inspected include all areas from ground to roof and from floor to ceiling, as well as common areas and adjacent structures, such as fences and detached garages or sheds. Paint chips on the floor or ground will also fail the unit.
Mini-Blind and Drapery Cords - Continuous loops in blind and drapery cords must be eliminated if your family has a child or children under the age of five (5) and if the cord hangs lower than five (5) feet.
Water Heaters - The water heater must have a temperature/pressure relief valve with a tag or other permanent markings that gives the pressure reading (125 or 150 psi) and the temperature reading (200F or 210F). The water heater must also have a discharge pipe for the relief valve which is the same diameter as the water intake pipe and which is made of a material which can withstand the temperatures and pressures listed above. The discharge pipe must be directed outside or toward the floor.
Railing Spacers - If you have children in your household under the age of six (6), all stair, porch, balcony and deck railings must have spacers (vertical bars) no more than six (6) inches apart.
Smoke Alarms - There must be a working smoke alarm located in a hallway adjacent to each area of the unit which contains a bedroom(s), as well as one smoke alarm on each level of the unit, including the basement.
Mobile Home Tie-Downs - If the mobile home is in a flood plain or in a high wind area, there must be tie-downs near every corner.
Well Water - If the unit is served by a well or other private water source, there must be a bacterial check of the water which shows zero (0) bacteria and which was performed within six (6) months prior to the inspection or within two weeks after the initial inspection.
Three-Way Switches - Interior stairways must be able to be illuminated from both the top and bottom of the stairs, such as with a three-way switch.
What qualifies as a bedroom? A bedroom must be at least 70 square feet and must be originally designed as, or permanently converted to, a bedroom. It must be exclusively used as a bedroom. In addition, a bedroom must meet all of the Housing Quality Standards for a room used for living and must have at least two electrical outlets or one permanent light fixture and one electrical outlet, and a permanent heat source. Bedrooms must also contain at least one window, and, if the window is designed to open, it must function as such.
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