What Do Rental Property Inspectors Typically Look For?
The Basic Business License Safety inspection aims to ensure that rental properties are safe and decent housing by complying with the District of Columbia Housing Codes and Property Maintenance Codes.
Although DC publishes its one-page checklist, most find it severely lacking in what inspectors may look for, thus failing their inspection. At RentJiffy, we know this is frustrating, so we have created this article based on our 10+ years of helping landlords get through their inspections and seeing what causes a property inspection to fail.
DISCLAIMER: RentJiffy does not and cannot guarantee that your rental property will pass inspection based on this document. Building codes and regulations change from time to time and without notice to us. Additionally, we are not an architecture firm, contractor, or home inspector, and we cannot provide advice or counsel on how to fix/repair items to meet the code. You should consult your own architect, contractor, home inspector, or handyman to ensure your property meets the most current version of the building codes.
This post contains links to products you may choose to purchase. RentJIffy is not recommending specific products but instead presenting products other customers have used at inspections that have passed. As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive compensation if you purchase through those links.
Smoke Detectors: Smoke detectors are required in every sleeping room, on each level of the home in common areas, and within the vicinity of all sleeping rooms and kitchens. DC defines "vicinity" as within 10 feet and within the line of sight of these areas.
Smoke detectors should not be placed within 36 inches of the outer edge of a ceiling fan or within 36 inches of an airflow vent (supply or return). For wall-mounted detectors, they should be installed no more than 12 inches from the ceiling (measured to the top of the alarm) and no less than 4 inches from the ceiling.
Inspectors typically allow battery-operated smoke detectors. We highly recommend using detectors with 10-year lithium-ion batteries, which don’t need to be replaced every six months.
Need to purchase? Check out our Smoke Detector Kit
Carbon Monoxide Detectors: If the property has fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages, carbon monoxide detectors are required on every floor in the common areas, near the bedrooms, and close to the fuel-burning appliances, fireplace(s), or garage. If a fireplace is located inside a bedroom, a carbon monoxide detector must also be installed within the bedroom.
Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions for where to place the carbon monoxide detector.
In areas where both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are required, you can opt to install combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, also known as dual-detection devices.
Need to purchase? Check out our Carbon Monoxide Detector Kit
Fire Extinguishers: A fire extinguisher must be "conspicuously" mounted on a wall within the unit, not hidden inside a closet or cabinet. The extinguisher should be an ABC-rated model and must have a visible gauge to indicate if it is charged.
TIP: Check the gauge annually to ensure the extinguisher is charged.
If your property is divided into two units, each unit must have its own fire extinguisher. For apartment buildings, it is recommended to check with the D.C. Department of Buildings for the latest guidance, as fire extinguisher placement rules may vary.
TIP: Make sure the extinguisher is mounted according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Placement height will depend on the extinguisher's weight.
The "ABC" rating refers to the types of fires the extinguisher can handle:
- A: Ordinary combustibles (wood, paper, cloth)
- B: Flammable liquids and gases
- C: Electrical equipment
For example, mounting the extinguisher on a kitchen wall is ideal. The key is to ensure it's easily accessible and not hidden.
Exceptions: Fire extinguishers are not required if the property is a single-family home or is fully equipped with sprinklers. However, we still recommend having one. House fires occur every 24 seconds in the U.S., with cooking fires being the most common. Having a fire extinguisher can mean the difference between a small kitchen repair and an extensive renovation after a sprinkler system discharges hundreds of gallons of water throughout the property. Even with sprinklers, it's always a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
Need a fire extinguisher? Check out our Fire Extinguisher Kit
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Emergency Escape Openings (Security Bars and Gates): Egress windows must have an opening of at least 5.7 square feet, with minimum dimensions of 20 inches wide by 24 inches high, and the opening should not be higher than 44 inches from the floor.
If there are bars on windows in sleeping rooms, they must be releasable or removable from inside the room without the use of a key, tool, or excessive force beyond what is required for normal window operation. Exception: If there is a door that directly leads to the exterior, releasable bars are generally not required.
Security Gates (including yard gates) cannot have double-cylinder locks or be secured with a padlock. They must not require special knowledge or tools to unlock. Double-cylinder locks are those that require a key on both sides (also known as double-keyed locks).
Means of Egress: Egress doors, windows, gates, etc., must remain unobstructed and allow for safe, continuous passage to the public way at all times. Egress doors and gates must not require a key, special knowledge, or excessive effort to unlock from the inside.
Condominiums and Apartment Buildings: Must have lighted fire-exit signs, fire extinguishers, and a functional fire alarm system.
Occupancy Load: A maximum of one family or no more than three unrelated people per unit. For properties with more than three unrelated people, you must have a certificate of occupancy and a basic business license specific to a rooming house.
For efficiency units (max 3 occupants), the space for 1-2 occupants must be at least 220 sq ft, and for 3 occupants, it must be at least 320 sq ft. Additionally, the kitchen sink, stove, and refrigerator – each has a clear working space of 30 inches in front, and there must be a separate bathroom (min. sink, toilet, shower)
Light: Each habitable space has at least one window. Glazing (window glass size) shall be min. 8% of the total floor area.
Cooking Room (the kitchen): All facilities provided by the landlord for cooking, storage, or refrigeration of food must be maintained in a safe and good working condition. Any cooking-room sink must have cold water and hot water available at a minimum temperature of 110° F for running water.
Bedrooms: Every bedroom shall be at least 70 square feet, and each bedroom occupied by more than one person shall have at least 50 additional square feet of floor area for each occupant. Access to the bedroom cannot be through another bedroom.
Bathrooms: A bathroom must be private (have a lockable door) and have natural (a window that opens) or mechanical ventilation. It must have a bathtub or shower, toilet, lavatory (sink) with hot water with a minimum temperature of 110° F, and cold running water. It must also have a waterproof floor and wall base. Bathrooms cannot be used as the sole passageway to another room.
Grout and caulk must be in good condition and should not show signs of mold or mildew.
Privacy: Bathrooms and bedrooms must have privacy (meaning lockable doors), and shall be separate from adjoining spaces. Such rooms shall be arranged so that occupants can access common space without going through another room.
Utilities: It is a code violation for a dwelling lacking utilities (water, gas, and electricity) to be occupied. For an inspection, all utilities must be turned on. Gas is not a required utility but if an appliance runs on natural gas then it must be available.
Heat: Heating equipment shall maintain a temperature of not less than 68° F in all habitable rooms and bathrooms between October 1 and May 1. With a two-pipe system, or any other system reasonably requiring more than 15 days to transition from air-conditioning to heat, the heat shall be supplied during a period starting no later than October 15 and ending no earlier than May 1.
Air Conditioning (A/C): The A/C system shall be maintained during the period no later than May 15 and ending no earlier than September 15. The inside temperature in rooms that the A/C system is intended to serve shall equal the greater of 78° F or at least 15° F cooler than the outside temperature.
Access Panels: Any access panel must be labeled for its purpose (ie water shut off valve). Many inspectors have failed for labeling using a marker and written by hand. Consider using a label maker.
Have a hole in the drywall for access but need a cover? Is the old access panel not fitting snug against the wall? Need to properly label it? Check out our Access Panel Kit: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/access-panel-kit
Electrical Systems: Properties need a minimum of 60-amp service with proper fusing & overcurrent protection.
No hazards in the electrical system to occupants or structure. Hazards may include but not be limited to: insufficient receptacle distribution, lack of sufficient lighting, damaged or worn wiring, improperly installed wiring, lack of grounding, inadequate support, exposed conductors, missing cover plates, excessive use of extension cords, overloaded receptacle or circuitry, lack of Ground Fault Interruptor Circuit (GFCI) protection.
Electrical Panel Box: Each breaker or fuse must be clearly labeled to identify the purpose of each circuit breaker, fuse, or other equipment used to disconnect power from the circuit. The labeling should provide enough detail to distinguish each circuit from the others.
There should be a clear working space around the panel box that is at least 36 inches deep, 30 inches wide (or as wide as the enclosure if it exceeds 30 inches), and 78 inches high (or as tall as the enclosure if taller).
Ensure the panel box can be easily opened and is not painted shut. The panel door must have enough clearance to open at least 90 degrees.
Is the electrical box not labeled and want an easier way to id what breaker controls what? Need help figuring out what each breaker controls? There’s a tester for that! Find it here: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/circuit-breaker-identification-kit
Electrical Outlets: Every habitable space (such as each bedroom, living room, dining room) in a dwelling must have at least two separate and properly placed receptacle outlets.
In areas where there are water sources (such as a kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas) anmy outlet within six feet of the water source must be a GFCI-type outlet or have GFCI protection. (GFCI = Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor)
*Every bathroom must have at least one outlet and must be GFCI protected. Possible exception: if the bathroom was last renovated prior to 1971, then the outlet may not have to GFCI protected.
TIP: check your outlets with an outlet tester to ensure they are wired properly and that the GFCI protection (if applicable to that outlet) is working properly.
Check your outlets to ensure they are wired properly and are providing GFCI protection quickly with an outlet tester. We love this Sperry model as you can easily tell exactly what’s going on without having to decipher based on which lights are illuminating. Buy Here: https://amzn.to/4aO5HJq
Electrical Equipment: There must be a minimum of 1 lighting fixture in every hall, stairway, toilet room, bathroom, kitchen, laundry & mechanical room.
Plumbing: All plumbing fixtures shall be properly installed and maintained, and shall be free from obstruction and leaks. No hazards in the plumbing system to occupants or structure. Hazards may include but not be limited to: undersized piping, inadequate venting, cross-connections, lack of backflow prevention, damaged or worn piping or fixtures, inadequate support, and inadequate water pressure or volume.
TIP: Ensure that pipes going through the wall or ceiling do not have gaps around them. For pipes in laundry closets, rooms and/or mechanical rooms gaps should be sealed with fire retardant caulk and not foam.
Need to seal the gaps? Take a look at our Wall Repair Kit and when you need to seal with retardant sealant, our Fire Sealant Supplies Kit
Mechanical Equipment: All equipment must be properly installed & maintained.
- All fuel-burning equipment connected to approved chimney or vent
- Clearances to combustibles maintained
- Safety controls maintained in effective operation
- Combustion & ventilation air provided in the space containing fuel-burning equipment
Water Systems: Sinks, laundry facilities, bathtubs & showers have hot & cold running water. All water inlets are located above the flood-level rim of fixtures. Hose bibs & faucets with permanently attached hoses have vacuum breakers.
Hot Water Heaters: There must adequate combustion air in small rooms (this may, in some cases, require having a louver door).
Temp. & pressure-relief valve & discharge pipe. Termination of the temperature pressure relief valve drain pipe cannot be more than 6-inches, or less than two pipe diameters, above the floor, ground, or washer receptor floor rim level.
TIP: We have found that, in many cases, inspectors have required hot water heaters to be installed with a drip pan and the drip pan installed on a drain.
Need a drip pan, check out our Hor Water Heater Kit: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/hot-water-heater-kit
Hot Water: Water-heating facilities shall be properly installed, maintained, and capable of providing an adequate amount of water to be drawn at every lavatory, sink, bathtub, shower, and laundry facility. The minimum temperature of the water shall be 110° F as measured inside of the resident's unit.
Clothes Dryers: Must be exhausted to the exterior unless they are non-venting. Vent to a lint trap box is not permissible per fire code regulations. The dryer duct hose should be aluminum and not vinyl or plastic which are fire hazards and should be tightly secured using a duct clamp to the piping assembly that goes through the wall or ceiling.
Dryer exhaust pipes should not have any gaps where it meets the wall and must be sealed with fire retardant chaulk or metal tape.
Have a gap around the exhaust pipe at the wall or have a ? Need supplies to fix? Click here: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/fire-sealant-supplies
Ceiling Height: Minimum ceiling height in habitable spaces is 7”, which includes living rooms, bedrooms, and other similar living spaces. Minimum ceiling height in kitchens and bathrooms is 6’8”. There is no minimum height for closets, storage, etc. Exception: You can have a support beam, i-beam (as many houses do) that is below the 7’ minimum - but no lower than 7’8” - so long as 4’ on either side of the beam meets the 7’ minimum.
Doors: All doors’ hardware and operating systems shall be maintained in good condition. All doors accessing the dwelling shall be equipped with a deadbolt lock without the use of a key or special knowledge for use from inside of the dwelling.
Doors must fit well, open and close as intended.
All doors accessing the dwelling should be weathertight.
TIP: If a door leading to the exterior is closed during daylight hours and you can see the light coming through the edges around the door frame, have a contractor determine whether the door needs to be seated correctly or new weatherstripping is needed. DC inspectors will fail if they can see the light coming through the door frame. Also these small holes invite pest and rodents. Did you know a mouse can fit itself through a crack or hole one-fourt of an inch or larger - or about the width of a pencil?
Fire Doors: Any door that is deemed a fire door must be equipped with an auto-closing device. For most residential homes, a self-closing hinge will work.
Need a self-closing hinge, check out our Fire Door Kit: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/fire-door-kit
Floors: Floors shall be in good repair and maintained free from hazardous conditions. This means floors should be even and level with no broken tiles, no holes or anything that might cause a tripping hazard.
Stairs: Stairs shall be in sound condition, good repair and maintained free from hazardous conditions.
Interior flights of stairs with more than three risers shall have a handrail on one side of the stair installed min. 30 inches, max. 42 inches above the nosing.
Guardrails on open sides of stairs, landings, ramps, decks, etc. more than 30 inches above floor or grade below installed minimum 30 inches high with intermediate rails. Guardrails can be spaces no more than 4” apart.
Handrails & guards fastened & in good repair
Paint: Peeling, chipping, flaking, or abraded paint shall be repaired, removed, or covered on windows, window frames, doors, door-frame walls, and ceilings. Pre-1978 structures must be lead-free.
Do not store cans of paint near hot water heater or hvac systems. This is a fire hazard.
Interior Surfaces: All interior surfaces shall be maintained in good, clean, dry, and sanitary conditions. Cracks, loose plaster, holes, decayed wood, water damage, and other defective surfaces are not allowed.
TIP: Make sure there are no holes in the wall. Additionally, if you have an opening in the drywall for access to a water shut off valve, then make sure you have an access panel covering the opening.
Windows: There must be a minimum of one openable window in every habitable space. All window frames are weather-tight. All windows are easily openable & remain open. Glass panes cannot have cracks or holes.
Window Screens: Windows must have screens from March 15 to November 15. Every window and skylight shall be kept in sound condition, in good repair, held in position by window hardware, easily openable, and weathertight.
TIP: If your screens have holes, consider purchasing screen patches or screen tape to fix them. Did you just realize your screens have holes check out our Window Screen Repair Kit
Security: All unit doors or doors leading to the exterior of the property shall be equipped with a deadbolt. Locks when opening from inside of the unit/property must open without keys or special knowledge.
Windows within 6 feet of grade are lockable (cannot require a key to lock or unlock)
Basement hatchways secured against entry.
Cleanliness: Dwellings shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
Rodents: All rental dwellings must be free of insects and rodents.
Address Identification: Street numbers, min. 3” high in Arabic numerals and contrasting background, shall be posted over or around the main entrance and visible from the public right-of-way (DCMR 12).
Additionally, if there are multiple units, each unit must have a designation on or next to the door. For instance, if one unit is upstairs and another is upstairs, then each door must signify which unit such as A & B.
For condominium and coop units, the unit numbers, 3” high Arabic numerals, must be present on, above or adjacent to the door.
Need address numbers for your property or unit doors, check out our Property Indenfiication Kit: https://kit.co/rentjiffy/property-identification
Foundation Walls and Exterior Walls: Foundation walls and exterior walls shall be maintained plumb and free from open cracks and breaks.
Structural Members: Structural members shall be maintained free from deterioration and shall be capable of supporting the imposed dead and live loads.
Porches, Decks, Balconies, and Stairways: Porches, decks, balconies, and stairways shall be maintained structurally sound, in good repair with proper anchorage, and capable of supporting imposed loads.
Handrail and guardrails: Exterior and interior flights of stairs having more than three risers need a handrail. Guardrails shall be installed on balconies, porches, decks, ramps, and other walking surfaces. Walking surfaces, more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below, shall have guards.
Roofs: Roof drains, gutters and downspouts shall be maintained in good repair and free from obstructions. Roof water shall not be discharged in a manner that creates a public nuisance. The roof and flashing shall be sound and tight and shall not have any defects that admit rain.
Sidewalks and Driveways: All sidewalks, driveways, walkways, parking spaces, and similar areas are to be maintained, free from hazardous conditions, and kept in a proper state of repair. TIP: this means no major cracks or holes which would be considered a tripping hazard.
Grading and Drainage: All premises shall be graded so that all storm drainage flows freely from all parts of the premises into an inlet or place of disposal. TIP: Make sure your drain pipes have extensions which move the water away from the property.
Wood Surfaces: All exterior wood surfaces including doors, door frames, windows, windows frames, trim, and fences shall be protected by covering or treatment. Peeling, chipping, and flaking paint shall be repainted. Pre-1978 structures must be lead-free.
Sanitation: The exterior of any structure and the outside property shall be maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition.
Weeds: Properties shall be maintained free of weeds or plants growing in excess of 8 inches.
Trash: All structures and exterior properties shall be free from the accumulation of rubbish or garbage. Owner provides leakproof, covered, outside garbage containers.
Grill: Gas grills are prohibited from roof terraces or combustible balconies or within 10’ of combustible construction.
Insects and Rodents: All structures and exterior property shall be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation.