Q: i'm on section 8 housing does the landlord have a right to do a separate inspection then HUD does each year?
the notice i received states that they are inspecting for moisture, maintenance concerns, safety issues, housekeeping and potential pest problems. do they have the right to tell me how to keep my house? I live in a 2 bedroom apartment with teenagers and as most people know teens are the hardest to help keep up on house cleaning and I do my best but in fear that they will attempt to tell me that I am not doing my housekeeping up to their standards. I know I'm not the best housekeeper but with other things in life with 3 teenagers as a single parent its not spotless and small living space make it a bit cluttered but organized for my family that has been separated for many years and is still getting back to a stable and consistent life of living together again.
A: As long as the landlord provides at least 24 hours advanced actual notice of their intention to enter, and it is for a reasonable reason and not so frequently as to harass the tenant, certainly. HUD inspects to be sure the dwelling meets basic, minimum standards before they are willing to pay their share of the rent. A landlord has much broader interests in inspecting to determine the need for maintenance, general living conditions, etc. It is through these separate inspections that a landlord assures that the dwelling will pass the HUD inspection when it comes, it is NOT the time a landlord wants to first find out that something is so wrong that it won't. Plus regular inspections allow the landlord to catch and fix problems before they get substantially worse and substantially more expensive to fix.
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