I am in the Housing choice voucher program. I have located and read HUDs housing quality requirements (HQS) rules, treat basically stipulate the inspection pass/fails for a housing tenant.
I believe I am being held to a different standard because of my disability, my husbands disabilities and our sons special needs.
I am trying to locate the following:
1) HQS requirements for WA state/king county (if different)
2) Apartment sanitation requirements (for tenant) WA/King County
3) code enforcement : fire hazard, fall hazard, etc regulations. WA/ King county.
I need these so I can find out what is REALLY required, and what isn't. Also, what he says is different from his supervisor. I simply want to be armed with the law.
I DID contact my inspectors supervisor, who IMMEDIATELY threatened to call the fire marshall and code enforcement to inspect my unit. She knows I'm disabled, and is causing me distress.
So I'd like to know what the code requirements for fire hazard, fall/tripping hazards, storage, and sanitation.
Thanks for your assistance without judgement.
Here is the basic background, for those who want/ need more information.
As a Section 8 tenant, I have an inspection every 2 years. Last year, we suffered 4 robberies of our garage, and ended up moving the remaining items into our apartment. My bedroom was turned into a storage room. There are boxes currently stacked in that room, with a 2-3ft egress/escape route with the window accessible, 2 feet from the window to any item.
Our inspector has failed us for MULTIPLE items that he passed us on the previous inspection.
The first item being "items stacked/stored over 5 feet high"
So this completely eliminates having bookshelves... because "items over 5 feet can fall in an earthquake."
He has also failed us for "unsanitary kitchen"
Because I had pots from the previous nights dinner soaking, and my kitchen table was busy. (A microwave we're giving away, a couple clean pots, slow cooker, some cans of food etc. ) there is also a large, EMPTY box we use to block the kitchen window. Its at ground level (the back has a higher ground) and people can sit outside it, looking in.(and have) our son has SEVERE anxiety, and dears people looking in our vertical blinds. The box serves as his comfort no one is seeing him walk around in his medical items.
We do NOT use the table for eating. Its basically a round shelf that aids in counter space.
Our floor, cabinets, stove, fridge etc were clean. No dirt, mold or infestations.
But its "unsanitary".
He failed us for "entire bathroom unsanitary".
I'll admit my toilet was dirty inside, but he did NOT lift the seat cover.
The floor, sink and garbage was clean.
Our bathtub has a medical bath chair and stool, for my husband and myself, and also our medical toilet, which resides in our living room, was set inside to allow him ease of inspection.
We also failed because our fridge drawer was missing. Apparently it's an INTEGRAL part of the fridge. The examples given for integral pieces were "doors, handles and controls" so yeah... totally see how a DRAWER could be as important as a drawer. (Sarcasm... lol I stopped assuming others know)
There are others, but nothing as important as these. The ones that I agree with have been remedied. I just feel like I'm being railroaded, and do not like this.
We previously lived in Seattle, where we moved from a 1200 sf unit to a 730sf. Our entire living room became storage, with the appropriate egress to the balcony. (It was opposite the rooms we used for living)
We did not fail ONCE, and it was FULL, with boxes stacked to the ceiling. Didn't fail once.
If all PHAs follow the HUD standards, how can I fail for an identical item? (In the previous setting, my landlord actually complained about it, and asked for a special inspection...the inspector stated it was not a hazard, since I had appropriate egress.
Anyway, thanks for reading.
God Bless.
I believe I am being held to a different standard because of my disability, my husbands disabilities and our sons special needs.
I am trying to locate the following:
1) HQS requirements for WA state/king county (if different)
2) Apartment sanitation requirements (for tenant) WA/King County
3) code enforcement : fire hazard, fall hazard, etc regulations. WA/ King county.
I need these so I can find out what is REALLY required, and what isn't. Also, what he says is different from his supervisor. I simply want to be armed with the law.
I DID contact my inspectors supervisor, who IMMEDIATELY threatened to call the fire marshall and code enforcement to inspect my unit. She knows I'm disabled, and is causing me distress.
So I'd like to know what the code requirements for fire hazard, fall/tripping hazards, storage, and sanitation.
Thanks for your assistance without judgement.
Here is the basic background, for those who want/ need more information.
As a Section 8 tenant, I have an inspection every 2 years. Last year, we suffered 4 robberies of our garage, and ended up moving the remaining items into our apartment. My bedroom was turned into a storage room. There are boxes currently stacked in that room, with a 2-3ft egress/escape route with the window accessible, 2 feet from the window to any item.
Our inspector has failed us for MULTIPLE items that he passed us on the previous inspection.
The first item being "items stacked/stored over 5 feet high"
So this completely eliminates having bookshelves... because "items over 5 feet can fall in an earthquake."
He has also failed us for "unsanitary kitchen"
Because I had pots from the previous nights dinner soaking, and my kitchen table was busy. (A microwave we're giving away, a couple clean pots, slow cooker, some cans of food etc. ) there is also a large, EMPTY box we use to block the kitchen window. Its at ground level (the back has a higher ground) and people can sit outside it, looking in.(and have) our son has SEVERE anxiety, and dears people looking in our vertical blinds. The box serves as his comfort no one is seeing him walk around in his medical items.
We do NOT use the table for eating. Its basically a round shelf that aids in counter space.
Our floor, cabinets, stove, fridge etc were clean. No dirt, mold or infestations.
But its "unsanitary".
He failed us for "entire bathroom unsanitary".
I'll admit my toilet was dirty inside, but he did NOT lift the seat cover.
The floor, sink and garbage was clean.
Our bathtub has a medical bath chair and stool, for my husband and myself, and also our medical toilet, which resides in our living room, was set inside to allow him ease of inspection.
We also failed because our fridge drawer was missing. Apparently it's an INTEGRAL part of the fridge. The examples given for integral pieces were "doors, handles and controls" so yeah... totally see how a DRAWER could be as important as a drawer. (Sarcasm... lol I stopped assuming others know)
There are others, but nothing as important as these. The ones that I agree with have been remedied. I just feel like I'm being railroaded, and do not like this.
We previously lived in Seattle, where we moved from a 1200 sf unit to a 730sf. Our entire living room became storage, with the appropriate egress to the balcony. (It was opposite the rooms we used for living)
We did not fail ONCE, and it was FULL, with boxes stacked to the ceiling. Didn't fail once.
If all PHAs follow the HUD standards, how can I fail for an identical item? (In the previous setting, my landlord actually complained about it, and asked for a special inspection...the inspector stated it was not a hazard, since I had appropriate egress.
Anyway, thanks for reading.
God Bless.
Regulations and Procedures: How to Obtain or Where to Find Housing Regulation
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