Affordable housing inspection checklists: NSPIRE, routine, move-in, and move-out

On a cycle

Two inspections that repeat. NSPIRE is the one HUD's programs call for, and it says whether the unit is safe and habitable. The routine check-up is yours, between NSPIRE visits, and it catches the leak or the broken latch before it becomes a deficiency.

HUD NSPIRE inspection checklist 63 standards in HUD's order, each answered No issue, N/A, or where you saw the deficiency and how severe it is. View Your cycle Routine rental inspection checklist Between NSPIRE visits: a room-by-room check that catches leaks, damage, and safety problems early. View

New to NSPIRE? How to run HUD's NSPIRE inspection in myInspections →

Once per tenancy

One at each end of a tenancy. Move-in records the unit before the household takes the keys, signed by both sides. Move-out compares the unit to that record and settles any charges. Neither is a HUD requirement; both are what settles a dispute.

Start of tenancy Move-in checklist The unit's condition before the household takes the keys, signed by both sides. View End of tenancy Move-out checklist The unit compared against the move-in record, to settle any charges. View

Which one, when

Inspection	When	What it settles	Who signs
NSPIRE	On your program's cycle: before assistance starts and at least once a year for CoC-funded units	Whether the unit passes HUD's standards, and what must be fixed by when	The inspector
Routine	On your cycle, often quarterly or twice a year	That the unit is being maintained, with a dated photo trail	The inspector, and the resident if present
Move-in	Before the household takes the keys	The condition everything at move-out is measured against	Both sides
Move-out	When the keys come back	Damage beyond wear and tear, and any charges	Both sides

Run all four on the same unit in myInspections and its history reads top to bottom: move-in, the routine visits, every NSPIRE inspection and the re-inspection after each repair, and the move-out. Our rental inspection checklist guide covers how to record condition and the mistakes to avoid.

Records to keep

✓The NSPIRE records your program requires.
✓The correction trail beside each NSPIRE finding: the 24-hour or 30-day fix, and the evidence it was done.
✓Move-in and move-out for the life of the tenancy and the dispute window after it.

In myInspections, every inspection is dated, every photo is timestamped, the report is a PDF you can export in bulk, and past paper inspections can be filed against the property so the whole trail lives in one place.

Things people ask

Which inspections do affordable housing providers run?

Four, usually. NSPIRE is the HUD inspection that checks a unit is safe and habitable. A routine check-up during the tenancy catches leaks, damage, and safety problems early. A move-in inspection records the unit's condition before a household takes the keys, and a move-out inspection compares the unit to that record when they leave.

What is NSPIRE?

NSPIRE stands for National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate. It is HUD's inspection standard for housing in its rental assistance programs, published as a final rule in May 2023, and it replaces the older HQS and UPCS standards. Every deficiency is placed in one of three inspectable areas (unit, inside, and outside) and given one of four severities (life-threatening, severe, moderate, and low).

How often does each inspection happen?

NSPIRE runs on your program's cycle. Continuum of Care recipients inspect every unit before assistance starts and at least once a year (24 CFR 578.75); public housing agencies set the cycle for voucher units under HUD's rules. Routine check-ups run on whatever cycle your policy sets, often quarterly or twice a year. Move-in and move-out happen once per tenancy, at the start and the end.

Why run the condition inspections if NSPIRE already covers the unit?

NSPIRE asks whether the unit meets HUD's standards on the day of the inspection. It does not record what condition the household received the unit in, so it cannot settle a move-out charge, and it is not frequent enough to catch a leak before it becomes a mold problem. Move-in, routine, and move-out are the records that do those jobs.

Can I print the checklists?

Yes. Open any template, choose Download, and you get it as a paper form. The NSPIRE form has a box for every answer and an N/A box for every standard. The same templates run in the myInspections app if you would rather tap than write.

Is myInspections approved by HUD?

No. myInspections isn't approved or certified by HUD. It runs HUD's NSPIRE checklist as published and produces the dated, photo-backed record. It doesn't score the inspection or decide pass or fail; your team reviews the report and records the decision.

What records do we have to keep?

Keep the NSPIRE records your program requires, with the correction trail beside each finding. Move-in and move-out records are worth keeping for the life of the tenancy and any dispute window after it. A dated, photo-backed report per inspection, filed by unit, covers all of it.

Affordable housing inspection checklists

On a cycle

Once per tenancy

Which one, when

Records to keep

Things people ask

Run all four from one app.