Building Surveyor

1.1 Initial/First Inspection

2019. ORS will make the initial contact with the landlord / agent informing them of the requirements to be inspected as per the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. ORS will provide the contractor with details of properties to be inspected together with relevant contact details of the landlord / agent and tenant (where appropriate and available).

1. The contractor is required to notify the landlord to advise we will be arranging access with the tenant to inspect the relevant rented dwelling. Two weeks' notice minimum is required before an inspection to the landlord. This period facilitates the communication between the owner and the tenant to agree the access to the property. The contractor will contact the tenant with a minimum one weeks' notice to arrange an appointment to access the relevant rented dwelling. It is recommended that a reminder issue 48 hours prior to the inspection date/time. The contractor shall have designated administrative staff, a designated phoneline and a designated e-mail for the purposes of making appointments. The contractor shall supply contact details to allow the landlord / agent and / or tenant to contact them directly should an appointment need to be cancelled and rescheduled.
2. The contractor shall put in place their own adaptive appointments system.

1. The contractor is to inspect the rented dwelling as to whether the property complies with all the minimum standards set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 only.

1. The Contractor will be required to provide their own electronic tablet/phone and use an online application assigned by the contracting authority to complete each property inspection. The contractor shall record each stage of the inspection, photographs, as required and electronic signature of the approved inspector. The data and results of the inspection are held by the contracting authority as entered on the application survey.

1. If the inspector fails to gain access to the house due to the landlord/ agent/ occupant not keeping the appointment, a second communication should be made.

1. Obstruction occurs when an inspector is satisfied that they have provided sufficient notice of an inspection to the landlord, and the landlord/ agent/ occupant has failed to grant access. If the inspector is unable to enter the property after a reasonable number of attempts, DLRCC will be notified. Note, failure to gain access to a property will not count as a completed inspection.

1. In the course of carrying out inspections of dwellings, should the contractor encounter breaches of the minimum Standards regulations which may in his/her opinion put the lives of the occupants in danger such breaches should be reported immediately to the ORS.

1.2 Second/Final Inspection

1. Where there was a finding of non-compliance at first inspection the letter to the landlord / agent should state the works required to bring the dwelling into compliance and indicate that works should be completed by the landlord/agent within an 8-week timeframe or as appropriate. The contractor shall liaise with the landlord / agent in the intervening time between the initial and final inspection to ensure the property has been brought into compliance.

1. Following the expiration of the specified timeframe within which the works were to be carried out, the contractor will carry out a re-inspection of the dwelling. The re-inspection will be carried out on the online survey form which will generate the results to the contracting authority. The re-inspection may be an on-site physical inspection, or an online video call as agreed with the contracting authority.

1. The contractor will communicate the findings of the inspection in writing to the landlord / agent and tenant. Sample letters are provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Housing, copies of which are available within the tender's supporting documentation. The templates may be updated in the future. The contractor may choose to send letters by post or as email attachments.

1. Any finding of non-compliance which is of serious concern is to be notified immediately to the contracting authority.

1. The contractor at second inspection stage will determine if the dwelling is compliant or non-compliant. There will be no requirement for the contractor to carry out subsequent re-inspections unless otherwise directed by the contracting authority. The contractor shall liaise with the landlord / agent in the intervening time between the initial and final inspection to ensure the property has been brought into compliance. The contractor shall forward, in writing, to the contracting authority details of those dwellings that fail both initial and final inspections.

1.3 Testing at First/Initial and Second/Final Inspection

It is a mandatory requirement to check for the physical presence of alarms / detectors specified in the current minimum standards in private rented dwellings brackets included but not limited to smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms. The contractor will not be responsible for the physical testing and/or declaring the performance of said alarms.