Third-Party Inspections Process
1. We receive notice of an upcoming inspection/audit. Jessica will confirm the dates with
the site to make sure it’s acceptable, and then confirm with the auditor.
2. Jessica will forward the notice, add the inspection date to the calendar, and invite
relevant parties.
3. Audits will often require some prep documentation 24-72 hours after receipt of the
notice, which Jessica will gather and submit.
4. A week before:
a. Physical inspection: walk your property with maintenance to take care of any
obvious deficiencies: torn screens, overgrown branches, housekeeping issues
around patios, etc. Look at smoke detectors! This is always an emergency finding
(meaning it has to be corrected within 24 hours) and it’s such an easy deficiency
to avoid! You will have to do it anyway; do it BEFORE the inspection to avoid
unnecessary findings, having to create work orders, and having to write up a
response that it’s been taken care of. Such a little thing will make us look that
much more “Excellent”. (Tip: change smoke alarm batteries when the clocks
change in spring/fall.)
b. File inspection: Files should already (always!) be organized. Go through your “file
pile” and get miscellaneous papers filed. Make sure files are put away in drawers
and not piled up on desks. Do not keep Wite-Out in your desk. Try to take care of
any outstanding paperwork items (recerts, IRs, dispos) you haven’t gotten to yet.
5. 1-2 days before the inspection (check to see what the notice requires), deliver notices to
residents (might be a few units, might be the entire property). In your inspection notice,
ask residents to report any maintenance issues in their homes and also remind them of
any common findings (making sure doors, windows, and walkways are clear for egress;
nothing is stored in the utility closet) Reminder: Copies of ANY notice delivered to the
residents need to be in the resident files.
6. Day before Inspection: Tidy up the office. Desks and surfaces clean and clear of excess.
Do a quick “sparkle” clean. Check to make sure entry is welcoming. Make space for the
auditors to work. If they are doing a file inspection, give them a desk or table with room
to spread out, set up a laptop, etc. Have coffee and water ready to offer. The first
impression matters!
7. Day of Inspection: Be on time, dress nicely, best behavior! Be accommodating but leave
them to work without interruption. For a physical inspection, make sure your
Maintenance Supervisor is available and present for the entire inspection, taking notes
(on a clipboard!), answering questions that might come up. If we missed a smoke
detector battery, fix it on the spot (have maintenance keep a few batteries handy).
8. After the Inspection, the auditor will send a report with findings – items that need
correction -- typically within 30 days. Start resolving findings right away:
a. Meet with office staff or maintenance (or both!) to begin planning how to
resolve. Take care of the Life, Health and Safety Items immediately, as they need
to be corrected within 24 hours.
b. Create and assign SEPARATE work orders for EACH physical finding. Order parts,
contact vendors, etc., for larger corrections. Do not wait until the last week to
start working on these items! As maintenance corrects physical findings, please
take photos and submit signed, completed Work Orders to Jessica for
submission.
c. Assign office staff to resolve file findings. Contact residents and set appointments
if necessary. Residents MUST comply. If they are slow to respond, serve 30-day
notices to vacate.
d. As work orders/file corrections are completed, send them to Jessica for review.
Items with sensitive information (SSNs) should be submitted to Drop Box. She
will look things over, ask questions, and ask for changes as needed. The more
time we have for this, the better. Please get everything completed and submitted
at least a week before the deadline. We are always striving for excellence – we
want to be meticulous. Once acceptable, Jessica will upload/send the corrections
to the auditor. Please feel free to send any and all compliance questions to
Jessica and Robin.
Step 8 repeats until all findings are resolved and the audit is closed.
