Repair scope — not official inspections
Be ready before CHA comes back
Send the fail list — Trust Fund HQS or CHA. We quote the repairs we can finish. Their inspector still walks the unit. We do not book inspections and we do not sell a guaranteed pass.
What CHA actually requires
These clocks come from CHA's owner inspection materials, not from us. Confirm the letter you received — the date on that notice is the one that counts.
Initial inspection fail
CHA gives the owner 14 days to correct deficiencies. If the unit still fails, the Request for Tenancy Approval can be denied.
Regular inspection fail
Most items have 30 days. Life-threatening items have 24 hours. Miss the window and the housing assistance payment is at risk.
Second reinspection fee
CHA charges $75 for a second reinspection after a fail. Getting the punch list right the first time is cheaper than a callback.
Minor-item self-cert (Feb 2026)
Some minor deficiencies can be owner self-certified. That list does not apply to initial inspections or reinspections. If CHA sent a fail list, treat it as a repair job.
Sources: CHA inspections for owners · CHA Inspection Guidebook (Feb 2026).
We repair. They inspect.
Kitchen, bath, detectors, covers, locks, and the holes that fail a walk. Send photos or the letter. We quote what we can close.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and pest tickets that need a license get escalated. We do not fake a close-out.
What rent-ready looks like
Finished rooms from a Woodlawn unit we prepared. Fail-list work has to leave the unit looking like this — not just patched.
What those walks actually look at
Two lists we work from: the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund HQS self-check, then the general CHA / voucher fail list. We repair. They inspect. We do not promise a pass.
Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund
The Trust Fund walks units to Housing Quality Standards. This is their self-check, not ours. We repair the items a handyman can close before that walk.
- Working smoke detector on each level, mounted the right height and within 15 feet of sleeping rooms
- Working CO detector within 15 feet of every bedroom and every furnace or boiler
- Deadbolts on entry doors — key outside, thumb-turn inside
- First-floor and fire-escape windows lock; all windows open, close, and lock; no cracked or leaky glass
- At least two outlets per room, or one outlet and one light; covers on outlets, switches, and panels; no hanging wire
- Heat in living spaces and utilities on for the inspection day
- Bathroom and kitchen: hot and cold water, drain, no leaks; toilet solid; bath vented by window or fan
- Stove burners and oven work; fridge cold; water heater has an extension pipe
- Walls, ceilings, and floors free of big holes, weak spots, and trip hazards
- Handrail when there are four or more steps; no loose, broken, or missing treads; rails on landings 30 inches or higher
- No pest evidence, no mold, no interior or exterior debris
- No chipping or peeling paint — especially if a child under six will live there
- Unit clean and ready to move in
Source: CLIHTF HQS self-inspection list
General CHA / voucher walk
Same HQS idea, different inspector. CHA’s published fail list is the general punch list most South Side voucher units get hit on.
- Dead or miswired lights and outlets
- Peeling or unstable paint in pre-1978 units where a child under six will live
- Missing, dead, or badly mounted smoke and CO detectors
- Cracked glass, broken locks, or drafty windows
- Exposed wire, missing globes, open junction boxes or breaker slots
- Broken door locks and drafty doors
- Cutting hazards — sharp edges, loose nails, cracked glass block
- Gaps at heating flues; gas not in service
- Rodent or insect evidence
- Holes or gaps bigger than a quarter-inch in walls, ceilings, or floors
Source: CHA’s 10 most common fail items
Inspection-readiness questions
We repair. CHA inspects.
Yes. The Trust Fund uses a Housing Quality Standards self-check before their inspector walks the unit. We repair those items. We do not inspect for the Trust Fund.
No. CHA or its contracted administrator inspects the unit. We repair the items on the fail list and the obvious life-safety gaps we can see.
No. A pass depends on the inspector, the unit, and items we cannot see until walls or appliances are opened. We will not write that promise.
We stop and tell you. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and pest work that requires a license gets escalated. We do not fake a close-out.