News Release

Aug. 10, 2026

Beginning October 5, 2026, KCHA will begiun using HUD’s National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) instead of Housing Quality Standards (HQS) for landords and housing providers who rent to people using Housing Choice Vouchers. 

These standards ensure a minimum level of quality and habitability in housing for all our individuals and families.

What's Changing

There are three inspectable areas:

• Unit: Inside the residents home
• Inside: Interior common areas and building systems
• Outside: The site, exterior, and outside systems

Updated Requirements Include:

• GFCI protection
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
• Fire doors
• Permanent heat and minimum temperatures
• Handrails and guardrails
• Pest infestations
• Mold and elevated moisture
• Bathroom, kitchen, and room habitability
• Correction timeline for deficiencies

Life-threatening and severe deficiencies must be addressed withing 24 hours.

Prepare Now

You don't have to wait for an inspection to start preparing. HUD recommends that landlords:

• Conduct routine visits and property inspections.
• Repair deficiencies as they occur, especially before an inspection.
• Listen to resident concerns and respond promptly to maintenance
  requests.
• Check the unit, interior common areas and outside areas residents
  use.
• Review previous inspection deficiencies and confirm repairs were completed.
• Learn the NSPIRE deficiency categories and required correction timelines

Pay close attention to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, pest infestations, handrails and guardrails, and signs of mold or excess moisture when preparing for an inspection.

Learn More from HUD

HUD’s NSPIRE webpage includes official inspection standards, the Housing Choice Voucher inspection checklist, inspectable areas, definitions, toolkits, webinars, and other resources to help you prepare for NSPIRE inspections.

Explore HUD’s NSPIRE resources