Validation programme for professional qualification as a housing inspector

The housing inspector verifies the requirements for the minimum housing quality of self-contained and non-self-contained dwellings through on-site surveys so that he/she can assess conformity with the standards in the Flemish Housing Codex. He/she will:

• plan and prepare conformity reviews
• conduct conformity reviews as part of housing quality policies
• assess the quality of a dwelling in a technical report
• manage the housing quality file in a file tracking system according to the applicable regulations.

The housing inspector usually works alone and is contracted to the client. He/she must move around regularly in order to perform the conformity reviews. During those investigations, the housing inspector may encounter health or safety hazards and difficult conversation partners. He/she must be able to deal flexibly with changing contexts, demands, circumstances, requirements, events etc. and a changing regulatory framework.

You will find detailed information about the validation programme in the validation standard for housing inspector (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window) (in Dutch).

If you want to demonstrate your experience as a Housing Inspector at a Validation body, you will do so by means of a written test, a case study with a practical survey, an interview and a practical test.

The language of instruction for the tests is Dutch.

You must:

• answer questions based upon your own technical report concerning the planning and preparation of a conformity review and managing a housing quality file in a file tracking system,
• categorise any defects based upon photographic material according to the technical reporting method involved,
• calculate the net floor area and determine the occupancy standard for self-contained and non-self-contained dwellings, based upon plans and cross-sections
• create on paper a plan sketch of a dwelling/building, designate the premises and measure the dwelling/building,
• check for moisture and the grounding of electrical installations, note down any other observations, propose the necessary measurements and interpret the measurement results, in each case using a 360° recording
• answer in writing any customer questions about housing quality standards, the conformity review and the technical report for self-contained and non-self-contained housing units
• determine positions and actions upon the basis of photo-reporting involving the conduct and the living environment of residents and in the event of any unsafe situations.