Apartment Inspections Again

des, they have wonderful double sided sticky tape for carpeting... and you can use that to hold the edges down... plus, though it might need to be replaced from time to time, it's easy to do!

Oh, I know what your talking about.....the padding. The padding is black and does seep through over years of wear down, and yes it was fibers and such that can cause bad allergies. I just asked my husband about it and he said you have the type of carpet (older version, hasn't been made since the 70's) that has the padding glued to the back of it, and he said over years it turns into dust. That's probably what it is, I can't imagine how irritating that is. So sorry.

Is there somebody above and beyond you can send an grievance or something to, because 20 year old carpet!....That's some old carpet!

Thank you, Des. I'm glad to know for sure. Yep, it's ooooold carpet! I have absolutely no one to go to other than the building manager and she's already told me no. If I go to her bosses I'll be thrown out.

Hugs,

Jan

Jan, that's an unsafe living condition. If the HUD inspectors come, you'd think that's something that they would insist that the building management must rectify -- NOT you!

Or do I just not have a clue how the system really works?

How many square feet are we talking about, anyway? And what's under the carpet/padding? What kind of floors?

Hi LMo,

It's got cement under it.I can't make them give me carpet. I tried. They won't.

"Fair" doesn't have a thing to do with it.

Jan

I guess I was worried that it was plywood subflooring, which might also have mold in it.

How many square feet?

LOL! I don't know. I can find out. It's made in a non equilateral triangle. It's a most unusually shaped apt!

Jan

Gosh . . . I hate stuff like this . . . I get so angry . . .

I want to help you resolve this problem but I'll probably do little to help. ((((((huggs)))))))

I've been researching HUD regulations. You have a right to decent, safe and sanitary housing. You can read HUD's Quality Standards in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 24, PART 5, Subpart G, Sec. 5.703 (see my next post)

I suggest you make a formal complaint by calling the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line (1-800-685-8470) which is a service provided by HUD's Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse (MFHC) that enables residents of HUD-insured and -assisted properties and other community members to report complaints with a property's management concerning matters such as poor maintenance, dangers to health and safety, mismanagement, and fraud.

MFHC staff explain how to more effectively report problems to building management, answer questions about residents' rights, and refer callers to local Public Housing Agencies and other organizations, if needed. If a complaint is serious enough to bring to HUD's attention, MFHC information specialists write up a report on the problem and fax or email it to the appropriate HUD Field Office for action.

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 24, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 24CFR5]

[Page 93-94]

TITLE 24 . . . HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

. PART 5 . . . GENERAL HUD PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS; WAIVERS--Table of Contents

. . Subpart G . . . Physical Condition Standards and Inspection Requirements

. . . Sec. 5.703 Physical condition standards for HUD housing that is decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair (DSS/GR).

. . . . HUD housing must be decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair. Owners of housing described in Sec. 5.701(a), mortgagors of housing described in Sec. 5.701(b), and PHAs and other entities approved by HUD owning housing described in Sec. 5.701(c), must maintain such housing in a manner that meets the physical condition standards set forth in this section in order to be considered decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair. These standards address the major areas of the HUD housing: the site; the building exterior; the building systems; the dwelling units; the common areas; and health and safety considerations.

. . . . . (a) Site. The site components, such as fencing and retaining walls, grounds, lighting, mailboxes/project signs, parking lots/driveways, play areas and equipment, refuse disposal, roads, storm drainage and walkways 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.

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

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

. . . . . (d) Dwelling units.

. . . . . . . . (1) 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 (if applicable), 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.

. . . . . . . . (2) Where applicable, the dwelling unit must have hot and cold running water, including an adequate source of potable water (note for example that single room occupancy units need not contain water facilities).

. . . . . . . . (3) 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.

. . . . . . . . (4) 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.

. . . . . (e) Common areas. The common areas must be structurally sound, secure, and functionally adequate for the purposes intended. The 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, must be free of health and safety hazards, operable, and in good repair. All common

[[Page 94]]

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. These standards for common areas apply, to a varying extent, to all HUD housing, but will be particularly relevant to congregate housing, independent group homes/residences, and single room occupancy units, in which the individual dwelling units (sleeping areas) do not contain kitchen and/or bathroom facilities.

. . . . . . (f) 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 requirements related to the evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards and have available proper certifications of such (see 24 CFR part 35).

. . . . . (g) Compliance with State and local codes. The physical condition standards in this section do not supersede or preempt State and local codes for building and maintenance with which HUD housing must comply. HUD housing must continue to adhere to these codes.

Yes, and what backs up the ability of complain without retribution is the Whistle Blower Act, recently passed by Congress... You must put your complaint into writing, giving them a time limit to comply. Keep copies, send certified or return receipt. Don't get into emotional crisis over this, it's a simple matter: the manager needs to do his job, his using intimidation is common, you have a right to new carpet (this is why the above was written...guidelines etc..you aren't the first one to have this type of problem. )

TC!!!