December 16, 2024
Dear property owner,
This letter is to inform you of an important HUD policy change that will affect inspection requirements for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Project-based Voucher (PBV) programs.
Effective December 29, 2024, we are required to implement the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72 Standards for smoke detectors. These new requirements are designed to improve safety for our participants and your residents. It is important to adhere to the new requirements to avoid failed inspections or delays in leasing and receiving housing assistance payments.
All smoke alarms must be either hard wired or sealed, 10-year battery devices and must be installed in the required locations listed below.
Required locations:
- Inside each bedroom.
- Outside each sleeping area (installed within a hallway in the immediate vicinity of multiple bedrooms meets of “outside the bedroom(s)” and may meet the requirement of “on each level”.
- On every level of the home, including the basement.
- On levels without bedrooms, required in the living room (or den or family room) or near the stairway to the upper, or both locations.
- In the basement, required on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs leading to the next level.
Required Positioning:
- Smoke alarm should be installed high on walls and ceilings.
- If mounted on ceiling, it must be greater than 4 inches from the wall.
- If mounted on the wall, it cannot be closer than 4 inches or greater than 12 inches from the ceiling.
- It should be at least 10 feet from cooking appliances.
- Must produce an audio or visual alarm when tested.
Smoke alarm should not:
- Be Covered by a foreign object (plastic bags, shower cap, zip tie, tape, etc.).
- Be painted or have a sticker or other decorations present.
- Be installed near windows, doors or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be evaluated under both smoke alarm standard and carbon monoxide standard.
Additional information can be found at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website: National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE)