902.23—Physical condition standards for public housing—decent, safe, and sanitary housing in good repair (DSS/GR).

(a) General. Public housing must be maintained in a manner that meets the physical condition standards set forth in this part in order to be considered decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair (standards that constitute acceptable basic housing conditions). These standards address the major physical areas of public housing: site; building exterior; building systems; dwelling units; and common areas (see paragraph (b) of this section). These standards also identify health and safety considerations (see paragraph (c) of this section). These standards address acceptable basic housing conditions, not the adornment, decor or other cosmetic appearance of the housing.

(b) Major inspectable areas. The five major inspectable areas of public housing are the following:

(1) Site. The site includes components, such as fencing and retaining walls, grounds, lighting, mailboxes, signs (such as those identifying the development or areas of the development), parking lots/driveways, play areas and equipment, refuse disposal, roads, storm drainage and walkways. The site must be free of health and safety hazards and be in good repair. The site must not be subject to material adverse conditions, such as abandoned vehicles, dangerous walks or steps, poor drainage, septic tank back- ups, sewer hazards, excess accumulations of trash, vermin or rodent infestation or fire hazards.

(2) Building exterior. Each building on the site must be structurally sound, secure, habitable, and in good repair. The building's exterior components such as doors, fire escapes, foundations, lighting, roofs, walls, and windows, where applicable, must be free of health and safety hazards, operable, and in good repair.

(3) Building systems. The building's systems include components such as domestic water, electrical system, elevators, emergency power, fire protection, HVAC, and sanitary system. Each building's systems must be free of health and safety hazards, functionally adequate, operable, and in good repair.

(4) Dwelling units. (i) Each dwelling unit within a building must be structurally sound, habitable, and in good repair. All areas and aspects of the dwelling unit (for example, the unit's bathroom, call-for-aid, ceiling, doors, electrical systems, floors, hot water heater, HVAC (where individual units are provided), kitchen, lighting, outlets/switches, patio/porch/balcony, smoke detectors, stairs, walls, and windows) must be free of health and safety hazards, functionally adequate, operable, and in good repair.

(ii) Where applicable, the dwelling unit must have hot and cold running water, including an adequate source of potable water.

(iii) If the dwelling unit includes its own sanitary facility, it must be in proper operating condition, usable in privacy, and adequate for personal hygiene and the disposal of human waste.

(iv) The dwelling unit must include at least one battery-operated or hard-wired smoke detector, in proper working condition, on each level of the unit.

(5) Common areas. The common areas must be structurally sound, secure, and functionally adequate for the purposes intended. The common areas include components such as basement/garage/carport, restrooms, closets, utility, mechanical, community rooms, day care, halls/corridors, stairs, kitchens, laundry rooms, office, porch, patio, balcony, and trash collection areas, if applicable. The common areas must be free of health and safety hazards, operable, and in good repair. All common area ceilings, doors, floors, HVAC, lighting, outlets/switches, smoke detectors, stairs, walls, and windows, to the extent applicable, must be free of health and safety hazards, operable, and in good repair.

(c) Health and safety concerns. All areas and components of the housing must be free of health and safety hazards. These areas include, but are not limited to, air quality, electrical hazards, elevators, emergency/fire exits, flammable materials, garbage and debris, handrail hazards, infestation, and lead-based paint. For example, the buildings must have fire exits that are not blocked and have hand rails that are undamaged and have no other observable deficiencies. The housing must have no evidence of infestation by rats, mice, or other vermin, or of garbage and debris. The housing must have no evidence of electrical hazards, natural hazards, or fire hazards. The dwelling units and common areas must have proper ventilation and be free of mold, odor (e.g., propane, natural gas, methane gas), or other observable deficiencies. The housing must comply with all regulations and requirements related to the ownership of pets, and the evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards and have available proper certifications of such (see 24 CFR part 35 ).