In the coming months, a property-inspection firm hired by the Agency will be reaching out to some coops to set up a time for an inspection. Each year, a sub-set of Agency clients welcomes an inspector to conduct a visual inspection of their property.
If your routine inspection was scheduled for 2022, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s cost free for your co-op.
These inspections are intended to assess the physical condition of your buildings, which helps us determine your co-op’s overall risk rating. This information is important for clients in the Rental Assistance Program (FCHI-2), which are bound to provide housing in good repair, and which qualify for the Agency’s risk-rating service. We report annually on your co-op’s risk level in full detail.
The 2022 inspection season will begin early in May, and we expect it to end in November.
Filling out your pre-inspection questionnaire
One thing you can do to help the inspection go quickly and smoothly is to complete our pre-inspection questionnaire. Co-ops receive it via a unique link sent by email. This link is best shared with the person who knows most about your property, including the details of your co-op’s maintenance and capital-replacement activities.
The information gathered in the questionnaire helps to ensure that we deliver a thorough and useful inspection report. For example, we ask about the number of buildings under federal programs in your co-op, the number of units and whether any are vacant.
The questionnaire also asks for information on common facilities, such as a laundry room, and any work you have recently done on the property or are planning to do. Finally, it asks about your replacement reserve and preventive-maintenance plan, any technical reports and the maintenance contracts you have in place for your grounds or building systems.
What happens during the inspections?
Due to COVID-19, this year’s property inspections will be limited to a viewing of the building exteriors and site elements. This means the inspectors will not be examining communal areas or the interiors of vacant units.
During the inspection, an inspector may spot a health or safety concern. If so, they will give your co-op notice in writing before leaving, so that you can act on the matter right away.
After the inspection has been completed, the Agency sends you a full report, which you’ll also find on our client website under the Reports tab, along with all other Agency reports for your co-op.
Want to learn more about property inspections? Check out our Q&A on your co-op’s physical condition rating.