The physical inspection of the project is based on the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). One of the standards that seems to cause some confusion is dealing with the GFCI inspection criteria when it comes to an electrical outlet that is within six feet of a water source that serves a major appliance. Particularly, but not limited to the washing machine. Per NSPIRE, if the major appliance (washing machine) electrical outlet is within six feet of the water source, the outlet must be GFCI protected or a dedicated outlet only capable of serving the major appliance.
- An outlet dedicated to a major appliance (e.g., water heater, HVAC, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, garbage disposal, appliance that is wall-mounted or installed within a cabinet, etc.) should not be evaluated under this standard, regardless of its distance from the water source.
- A dedicated outlet is a receptacle outlet that is only capable of serving that specific appliance.
If the project chooses not to use a GFCI protected outlet, the outlet must be a single outlet, so it is only capable of serving the major appliance. For the remainder of 2024, if AHFA finds that an electrical outlet within six feet of a water source serving a major appliance is not GFCI protected or dedicated to the major appliance, it will be cited as a concern. For 2025, if AHFA finds that an electrical outlet within six feet of a water source serving a major appliance is not GFCI protected or dedicated to the major appliance, it will be cited as a finding and must be corrected within a given timeframe.
HOTMA Compliance Date Extension
Owners must be fully compliant with HOTMA by July 1, 2025. Owners can choose to implement HOTMA now or wait until the new deadline.
HOTMA Recommended Forms
The forms are listed in the Compliance section of www.ahfa.com.
If you have any questions, please email the Compliance Department at mfcompliance@ahfa.com