Furnaces and water heaters are key elements in any Colorado home. However, being that they are combustion appliances, they can pose safety and health hazards if not configured properly. One of the most common practices in the residential setting is to have these appliances installed in a combustion closet.

When it comes to Denver and Boulder rental properties, there are strict guidelines with regards to combustion closets or rooms. For rental license inspections, it all boils down to safety. A rental property needs to meet a list of standards in order to be deemed safe for its occupants.

Why Are Proper Combustion Closets So Important?

Combustion appliances are, by definition, fuel-burning. They combine a gas supply with oxygen in order to create fire. This reaction, in turn, heats your water and air.

The byproducts of this chemical reaction are carbon dioxide and water. In many cases, if the fire is not receiving enough oxygen, it will produce carbon monoxide, instead of carbon dioxide.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is highly toxic to humans if not ventilated properly. So, it follows that an enclosure with a combustion appliance must be built properly to ensure safe living conditions.

A fuel-burning device needs a source of fresh combustion air and an avenue for ventilation to expel its fumes. If the device does not have unhindered access to fresh air, it may begin to create negative pressure and pull the air it needs through the exhaust piping. Once that air is moving inward through the exhaust pipe, the fumes being produced as a byproduct have nowhere to go but back into the home. Now we have CO making its way into the living space, and that is an obvious problem.

It was common practice in many older homes to put combustion appliances in closets with louvered doors (shown below). The slats in these doors allow the appliance to draw fresh air in from the interior of the home. And if the ventilation flue is installed properly with no obstructions, this configuration should technically work.

However, according to code, using the louvered door method can be hazardous and especially unacceptable in certain locations such as the bedroom or bathroom.

For instance, if a fire were to break out in a bedroom combustion closet, without the proper fire-proofing precautions (i.e. a louvered door), the fire could quickly spread into the bedroom. Or what if a combustion device is located in bathroom closet with a louvered door? If someone turns on the exhaust fan, it could potentially create a backdraft and start to pull CO fumes into the bathroom.

Due to all these potential issues, it eventually became apparent that we needed to establish a standard for combustion appliances and how they are installed in the home.

Combustion Closets, By The Book

As mentioned above, when conducting rental license inspections in Boulder and Denver, inspectors are going to be paying close attention to the location and configuration of furnaces and water heaters. Both municipalities have similar standards. They have adopted the codes established in section 303.3 of the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC).

So, can furnaces and/or water heaters be located directly inside bedrooms or bathrooms? No. However, they can be accessible through bedrooms or bathrooms, as long as they are contained in an isolated room or closet.

If a fuel-burning appliance is accessed through a bedroom or bathroom, it must be installed in a room or closet that is completely sealed with weather stripping and a door equipped with a self-closing device. Additionally, the appliance must have its own access to a source of combustion air from the outdoors. Furthermore, its exhaust must also terminate outside the home through its own dedicated piping. When built correctly, these combustion closets should have an airflow system that is operating independently of the living space.

The diagram below illustrates a water heater in one of the most efficient types of sealed combustion closets. Most new furnaces are built with direct ventilation systems (top picture shown above), meaning their intake and exhaust piping are mounted directly onto the appliance. These examples illustrates two different methods for proper combustion appliance configuration.

Utility rooms are commonly located in basements, and there are many basement rental units. It follows that the rental license guidebooks also address these specific living spaces. Any habitable part of the basement unit must be separated from any room containing fuel-burning appliances. According to section 4.2 of Denver’s residential rental program guidebook:

“If a fuel-fired furnace is located in a room that opens directly into an area used for sleeping, the two rooms must be separated by a solid core 1-hour fire-rated door with a smoke seal around it.”

Rental License Inspections

At Scott Home Inspection, we have been offering our rental license inspection services to the Boulder area for 10+ years. And now with the recently implemented Denver residential rental license requirements, we have several certified inspectors who are qualified to offer the same, high quality rental inspection services to the city of Denver.

When observing the combustion appliances in the home, our inspectors will consider a few key questions. Is the appliance functioning properly? Is it installed in a safe, and code-acceptable location? Does it have proper ventilation? Does it have an adequate combustion air supply? Any deficiencies noted at the time of inspection will be called out for repair and/or correction.

Our number one priority is to help Colorado families live in safe, healthy, and comfortable homes. So when assessing a rental property for licensing, our inspectors are as thorough as possible. We observe all aspects of the property as required by the municipality, and provide an unbiased pass or fail assessment.

If you are in need of a rental license, we recommend reviewing the applicable rental license guidebooks (City of Denver or City of Boulder) prior to the inspection.

We hope you will contact Scott Rental Inspections for your next Colorado rental license inspection! For more info, feel free to contact us today!

If you are a property manager or rental property owner in Boulder or Denver, you likely know a thing or two about rental licenses. The city of Boulder has required rental licensing for quite some time. And the city of Denver is following in its neighbor’s footsteps, making rental licensing mandatory by January 2024 for all rental properties.

A rental license inspection is meant to ensure that a rental property is a safe living space for its occupants. The inspection covers a wide variety of aspects throughout the home. But in this article, we will focus on the electrical components of the home.

Electricity is no joke. So sometimes even seemingly minor issues can lead to huge safety hazards. This is why it is important to be aware of the electrical issues that can fail a rental license inspection.

Missing GFCI Outlets in Bathrooms

At least one GFCI outlet is required in all bathrooms. This is considered a critical safety issue, and failure to meet this requirement will result in a failed rental license inspection.

A GFCI or “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter” is meant to prevent electrical shock. The GFCI can detect any irregularities in the electrical currents at an outlet. When these irregularities are detected, the GFCI will immediately shut off, preventing any electrical hazards.

This type of outlet is especially important when near water features because water is a very conductive medium for electricity. So it follows that bathrooms need the extra security that GFCI outlets can provide. For a more in-depth discussion on GFCI outlets, check out our article, GFCI Outlets Explained.

Exposed Electrical Wiring

Wiring that is not contained by the proper conduit or enclosure is another way that can cause a rental license inspection failure. This one is pretty self explanatory. Simply put – exposed wiring or wiring in disrepair can be dangerous.

When conducting rental license inspections, our inspectors pay close attention for these types of issues. Outlets without covers is one of the more common defects we observe. This may seem like a minor defect to some. But on the contrary, uncovered outlets present serious safety risks – especially for curious children or pets. If any aspect of the property’s electrical system is exposed and deemed unsafe, it will be called out for evaluation and repair.

Improperly Wired Outlets

During the rental license inspection, inspectors will also be checking each outlet for functionality and proper wiring. They have specialized outlet testing devices that can indicate issues the outlet may have. Reverse polarity is a defect commonly found when an outlet is accidentally wired in reverse. With this reverse wiring, an outlet has the potential to produce an unstable current that can lead to serious electric shock and/or property damage.

This is an obvious concern for any unsuspecting tenant. So naturally, this type of issue will need to be fixed to pass an inspection. We elaborate on this topic in our past article about common electrical issues.

We also check the main electrical panel to ensure that a) it is accessible and not obstructed and b) it is properly wired with no safety hazards.

Use of Permanent Extension Cords or Makeshift Wiring

Inspectors will be on the look out for any problematic, makeshift wiring. We want electrical wiring to be professionally, and safely configured. So any wiring that is tacked, stapled or nailed to the walls will not be acceptable.

Additionally, extension cords being utilized for permanent wiring will be deemed hazardous and grounds for rental inspection failure. Extension cords can not be extending across doorways, from room-to-room, through unit walls, or across walkways.

Note that, according to section 3.4 of Denver’s Residential Rental Program guidebook, property owners or managers can address and remedy these problems to a satisfactory configuration during the inspection, if possible.

What Will Not Fail a Rental License Inspection?

There are certain electrical related issues that we may normally note in a standard home inspection that may not be required for a rental inspection.

For instance, missing GFCI outlets in the kitchen will not fail a rental license inspection. Being that kitchens have water features and a lot of electrical appliances in use, it is highly recommended to have GCFI outlets in this setting. However, there are technically no hard rules on the matter with regards to rental inspections.

Additionally, there are no rental license inspection rules about electrical panel brands. There are certain problematic panels, such as Federal Pacific Electrical Panels and Zinsco Electrical Panels, that were discontinued due to safety hazards. Though they are becoming more and more rare, we do still find these panels in older homes. We will always make note of these and recommend replacement in a standard inspection. But again, a rental license inspection does not require any panel replacements to be made.

Are You Ready for Your Rental License Inspection?

Rental license inspections take time and cost money. So why not shoot to pass with flying colors on the first try? Before applying for a rental license, we recommend that owners/property managers read up on all the requirements for their region. Check out articles like this one or you can go directly to the handbooks provided by the city of Boulder and the city of Denver. That way you can get your property certified, safe and tenant-ready in no time!

If you are in need of rental license inspection services, we hope that you consider us here at Scott Rental Inspections. We have a team of certified rental license specialists that service both Denver and Boulder. Feel free to contact us for more info or to schedule your inspection today.

The city of Boulder has a long history with rental licenses of different types. Most notably is their long-term rental license program that has been around in one form or another for half a decade.

This program requires anyone looking to rent a home within the city of Boulder to obtain a rental license from the city. This includes meeting certain safety requirements within the property, and having a Rental License Inspection performed.

In more recent years with the explosion of companies like AirBnb and VRBO, Boulder County has created rules around short-term rentals. Unlike the city’s rental license requirements, these requirements extend across the whole county.

While the CITY of Boulder has different requirements, if your home is in unincorporated Boulder County, the following short-term rental rules will apply to you:

There are two types of shorter-term rental licenses in the county: Short-Term Rental License and Vacation Rental License.

Short-Term Rental Licenses are required for homes rented out for less than 30 days at a time and are part of a primary residence of an owner OR houses that are not the primary residence of an owner, but the homes are rented less than 60 days out of the year. A passing radon test is required for these licenses.

Vacation Rental Licenses are required for people who own property primarily for the purpose of AirBnb or a similar format. This is defined as a single-family home that is not the primary residence of the owner that is rented out for more than 60 days of the year.

If you are confused, follow the flow chart below:

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1. Is the house in the CITY of Boulder?

If Yes, you need to use the city short-term rental application. This article does not apply. https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/rental-housing-licensing-short-term

2. Is the house the primary residence of the owner, but renting out a room for less than 30 days at a time?

If Yes, Primary Dwelling Short-Term Rental License needed. Radon Test Is Needed.

3. Is the house NOT the primary residence of the owner, but planning to rent the house for LESS THAN 60 days a year total?

If Yes, Secondary Dwelling Short-Term Rental License needed. Radon Test Is Needed. (This will likely be uncommon)

4. Is the house NOT the primary residence of the owner AND they are renting the house out for MORE THAN 60 Days a year.

This will likely be a standard AirBnb or VRBO where the house is offered all year.

If Yes, Vacation Rental License needed. A passing Radon Test is required. An Energy Audit is required unless the house had a HERS Rating performed that the owner has.

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As you can see, if you plan on renting out a property in the short term but all year long, you will likely fall under the vacation rental category. You can learn more about this on the Boulder county website here.

Vacation Rental License Requirements

Today we are going to focus on vacation rental license requirements. The full requirement checklist can be found here, but we will also talk through each point.

1. Building Lot Determination
2. Deed
3. Floor Plan
4. Insurance Proof
5. Local Manager Information (You or a professional)
6. Map of Property
7. Proof of Utilities
8. Proof of Paid Property Tax
9. Number of Sleeping Rooms
10. HERS Certificate or Energy Audit
11. Radon Testing Results

As you can see, there is no inspection requirement as with long-term rentals. Most of the items on the list are documents most homeowners will already have and can be easily checked off the list.

The last 2 are what we will focus on today. These are items that you may need to have performed before you can obtain the license.

HERS Certificate or Energy Audit

HERS ratings and Energy Audits both have to do with saving energy. The county and the city have ambitious energy goals which this ties into. One of these 2 documents will be required for a Boulder Vacation Rental License.

A HERS rating is an energy rating score that is typically performed when a house is built. In Boulder, a HERS Rating is required during construction. This energy rating score measures the efficiency of the home. The closer the number is to zero, the closer the home is to being fully “net zero.” If this is something that was performed when the home was built, or you can source it from the builder, that will fulfill this requirement.

If the home is older or you are not sure if a HERS Rating was ever completed, then an Energy Audit can be performed. An Energy Audit is a simple inspection where the inspector will evaluate the home’s energy systems including insulation, windows and doors, heating and cooling efficiency, appliance performance, and air leakage.

A full home air leakage test is performed using a blower door test and air leaks are found using a thermal camera.

Looking for more information on our Energy Audit service? Find out more here.

Energy Audits are simple and affordable tests that can meet this requirement. While we perform both HERS Ratings and Energy Audits, we recommend going with an Energy Audit if a HERS Rating is not available due to cost.

Radon Test Requirements

In an effort to protect any occupant from radon exposure, the county requires a radon test be performed on a property before a license is given to show safe levels.

Radon testing is becoming a requirement at many stages of a home’s life cycle and for good reason as radon levels in Colorado are above average. A radon test is a 48-hour test which reads the radon levels of the home hourly and gives an average level.

Our radon testing service is fast and simple. Schedule your affordable 48-hour radon test here.

Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L) and if the results come in higher than 4.0 pCi/L, then radon mitigation is recommended.

For the license requirement, you will have to show that the home has a level lower than 4.0 pCi/L. We recommend starting with a 3rd party radon test and mitigating as needed. Our company performs these tests, and is certified with the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP).

If you are in need of a test, find more information about our radon testing service here.

Vacation Rental License Requirements

These 2 extra requirements are the only items that will likely need to be done by a 3rd party. If you have further questions about the Boulder Vacation Rental License requirements or would like to schedule a radon test and energy audit, contact us here. We can help you meet your Boulder Vacation Rental License Requirements fast!

Boulder’s Rental License program is one of the first of its kind. The program requires Boulder homeowners to pass a general health and safety inspection before being allowed to rent a property in the city.

Because of the university and the subsequent high volume of rental units, the city decided to create a baseline for quality of rental housing to ensure people and students are living in safe and healthy homes. The city has outlined the rental license requirements to abide by.

However, like many government programs, the documentation is robust and there are many different requirements that need to be met. When obtaining a rental license, a 3rd party inspection is required to verify the requirements.  Many of the items are “no-brainers”, but there are some tricky ones that cause many people to fail their initial inspections.

So if you are a Boulder rental property owner or a property manager and would like some clarification, we wrote this for you.

We will break down each category of the rental license handbook, and give you the SparkNotes version. We will also give you some hints as to what our inspectors are looking for.

Of course, you can just have a baseline Rental License Inspection done by one of our licensed inspectors to find any issues. But if you want to be proactive, read on.

The Rental License Requirements Handbook

The Boulder Rental License requirements are laid out in the handbook which can be found here. However, it is slightly complex with many references to building codes. We will break it down here as we understand it.

The two main requirements are the safety inspection and the outdoor lighting requirements. We will be focusing on the safety inspection.

But First… Occupancy Limits and Posting Requirements

The city requires anyone renting out a property to post the number of unrelated individuals allowed to live in a unit inside the doorway. This number can be found on their website here, and searching for your address. Depending on the zone of the city it is between 3 and 4.

This is less of a safety item, and more of a chance for the city to follow up on this law. The specific requirements for what the sign should say are in the handbook and at this website. This section is also touched on in this follow section.

1. General Requirements: Light, Ventilation, and Occupancy Limitations

This section is broken down into a few items.

Exterior/Interior Structure: The basis of this section is to ensure the exterior and interior of the home is in livable condition. No leaky roofs, missing siding, broken windows. Anything that could let the outside elements into the home should be properly sealed. Many people fail their baseline inspection due to having a broken or cracked window. That would fall under this section. On the interior, all areas should have handrails and general maintenance should be well kept.

Lighting and Ventilation: Along with a general habitable space, all sections of the home must have some type of lighting. Bedrooms with wall switches that operate outlets are acceptable. However, lights must be present in stairwells and hallways, and generally in places where you would normally find a light.

Ventilation violations primarily pertain to a bedroom with no window in it. Also, bathrooms must have a bath fan or an operable window for adequate ventilation.

Occupancy Limitations: This section outlines what a standard house should have for the number of tenants living in it. Pretty straight forward, but you’d be surprised as to what we sometimes see! Occupancy limits ensure that there are adequate bathrooms, a kitchen, some type of shower or bathtub, and that no one is sleeping in these areas!

The occupancy sign mentioned above is covered in this section as well.

2. Plumbing Facilities and Fixture Requirements

This section is pretty general. Basically, the big picture is NO LEAKS. All plumbing fixtures have to be in working condition and there should be hot water present in all locations you would expect it. No tenant wants to take a cold shower every day, and the city has their backs on that one!

An overlooked requirement in this section is that bathrooms must have privacy! If the door to the bathroom is broken or you can’t lock the door, this would be enough to fail your rental license inspection.

Are you in need of a Boulder rental license inspection? We are the only rental license provider with multiple inspectors. Schedule your inspection as early as tomorrow. Learn more here.

3. Mechanical and Electrical Requirements

This section is long and detailed but we will try to give a big picture overview.

General Mechanical Requirements: The house must have a heat source and water heater that are in a safe and operable condition. They also need to be installed as a professional would install it, meaning the exhaust, gas lines, gas line shut-offs, combustion air inlets, and safety requirements need to be followed. If a professional contractor installed it, you are most likely in good shape.

Water heaters also require TPR valve extensions to be present and installed the way the manufacturer intended it.

One item that people get caught on in this section is when a furnace or water heater is accessed through a bedroom or bathroom. If that is the case, the access door needs to be fully sealed with weather stripping so no exhaust can escape from the closet. Many DIY renovations of basements have issues with this.  

Along with the heating system, all other appliances like kitchen appliances need to be installed safely and correctly.

Electrical: Electrical devices fall under this category as well. This can be summed up fairly easily with 3 requirements.

1. Make sure all wiring is installed correctly and outlets are everywhere that outlets normally are expected.
2. No exposed live wires. This includes no missing cover plates.
3. Make sure you can access the main electric panel and it isn’t blocked or hidden.

If you feel that you meet the requirements of these 3 items, you will likely pass this part of the inspection. We will also be opening the electrical panel during the inspection to ensure the wiring is correct.

One key issue that the city addresses in this area is ungrounded 3-prong outlets. Many homes that have been remodeled that started with 2-prong outlets have now been upgraded to 3. The issue is that even though you add a grounding slot to the outlet, it does not mean it is connected to anything. This presents a few hazards, but it is also very common to see it in homes. The city of Boulder wants to see this addressed by adding GFCI outlets/breakers to protect the ungrounded areas or replacing the outlets that have older 2-prong outlets.

4. Fire Safety Requirements

General Requirements: The basis of fire safety in this section is about egress. You must have the escape paths available that were required when the house was built. This typically refers to basement bedrooms where there is no walk out window. Newer homes will require it, but older homes do not.

You also cannot block an area that was created for escape. For example, you cannot put bars or covers that cannot be easily removed over windows or entryways. Also, you cannot have doors that lock from the inside with a key only. In the event of a fire, if the key can’t be found, the tenant may be trapped.

Firewalls are also inspected. This includes the drywall between the garage and the home or between 2 units. This drywall must stay intact as it gives the tenant time to escape.

Smoke Alarms and CO Detectors: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this section carefully. In 2018, the city of Boulder started requiring inspectors to ensure these devices are present and in the correct locations. Since then, this has been the most frequent reason for rental inspection failure.

Smoke detectors and CO detectors must follow TODAY’s code standards. Unlike most other items, older homes are not grandfathered into the rules. So here is what is needed:

1. At least one smoke detector ON EVERY FLOOR.
2. One smoke detector IN EVERY BEDROOM.
3. CO Detectors should be placed WITHIN 15 FEET of all bedrooms.

The smoke detectors are fairly straightforward, but the CO can be confusing. If all of the bedrooms are right next to each other, you can just have one unit outside the bedrooms. But if there are bedrooms in the basement and the main floor, there will need to be a CO detector outside the basement rooms, and another outside the main floor rooms.

On top of all this, all units have to be in working condition at the time of the inspection. These units can be battery powered or hard wired. Furthermore, smoke and CO detectors have a 10-year expiration. The city has asked us to ensure no detectors are older than 10 years as they would be expired!

It’s important to follow these guidelines, as Boulder requires the inspectors to go back to the property to verify that issues with the detectors have been resolved. This results in another fee from our company. If you have further questions, please give us a call.

BONUS: Floodplain signage

There is one more requirement that deserves its own section. If the building is located within a 100-year floodplain, the city requires you to post a sign outside the front door stating that it is. The sign must read as follows:

“This property is located in an area that is subject to sudden and severe flooding. In case of flood emergency be prepared to seek high ground immediately.”

To find out if your property is located in the 100-year floodplain, you can use the parcel information lookup map and search your address.

Boulder Rental License Requirements Completed and Post Inspection

And there you have it. A summary of all the Boulder Rental License Requirements in under 1000 words. We hope that this helps you prepare for your rental license inspection. We have found that a small amount of homework will save you a lot of headaches when completing this inspection.

Once the inspection is completed, our company will email you a copy of the inspection compliance form. You will combine these 2 pages with the rest of your rental license application and submit it to the city.

One note for all new rentals that have never been a rental in the city of Boulder.

Along with the rental license requirements, you will also need to pass a SmartRegs Inspection. This is Boulder’s initiative to reduce the energy usage of rental units. We have another blog post that can help you with your SmartRegs requirements as well. You can also see if your property has already passed a SmartRegs inspection here. If it has, the certification transfers to present and future owners.

We hope this helps clear up any questions you had about Boulder’s Rental License requirements. In general, the inspections do not take long, and our inspectors will help you identify any required repairs.

If you are in need of a rental license inspection, consider using Scott Rental Inspections. We have multiple inspectors, trained and certified, to complete these inspections. You will also receive a discount for multiple units, or if the rental inspection is combined with our standard home inspection. Schedule your inspection today.

In an effort to reduce light pollution, many municipalities throughout Colorado have been looking at ordinances to regulate and restrict outdoor lighting in recent years.  This effort is commonly referred to as the “Dark Sky Movement.” The most touted advantages of reducing light pollution include increasing visibility of the stars and the night sky, reducing the effects of lighting on the environment, improving health for both people and wildlife, and reducing overall energy usage.

Several municipalities already have requirements in place for new construction outdoor lighting, but few have requirements that have addressed this for existing properties.  The City of Boulder is looking to do just that.  In 2003, Boulder adopted the Boulder Outdoor Lighting Ordinance, which included a 15-year grace period for all properties to become compliant.  The 15-year mark has been reached, and the date has been set for requiring compliance for November 16, 2018.

For homeowners, this means that if you have not obtained a building permit since 2003 that demonstrated full compliance with the lighting regulations, you will want to look at becoming compliant before November 16th, when enforcement goes into effect.

How will this affect the City of Boulder Rental Licensing?

What does compliant outdoor lighting look like?

• All exterior fixtures must be shielded at the top and sides to aim light downward, or have diffused glass surrounding the bulb at the sides, and the bulb cannot extend below the bottom of the fixture.

 

• The bulbs must be 900 Lumens or less. This equates to no more than a 60 Watt incandescent bulb, or a 15 Watt LED bulb.
• No bulbs over 3000 Kelvin in correlated color temperature.  This will help keep the light in warmer ranges, rather than in cooler, more harsh ranges. This information can be found on the lighting packaging

• Any spot or flood lights must be aimed downward, and should not exceed 1200 Lumens (75 Watt Incandescent or 19 Watt LED). These should be on a motion sensor with a timer that can be set to turn the light off after a maximum of 5 minutes.

See the City of Boulder’s outdoor lighting notice for full details on these requirements.

Important information for Rental License requirement changes regarding Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm requirements

In the past, the presence of smoke and CO alarms were verified by the property owners or managers. Beginning November 16, 2018, this is now going to be something that your rental inspector will need to verify and sign off on at the time of the rental inspection. If these are not present, we will need to make an additional site visit to verify that they are present and working properly. The location requirements remain the same: smoke detectors must be in each bedroom, as well as on each level outside the bedrooms, and CO detectors within 15’ of every sleeping area. See page 14-15 of the Boulder Rental License Handbook for full details on the smoke and CO detector location requirements.

Scott Home Inspection and our team of Rental License Inspectors can help you understand and meet these requirements.  Property owners/managers will want to be prepared so that you can have all of your outdoor lighting and Smoke/CO detectors in compliance prior to scheduling Scott Home Inspection to come out for your next Rental License inspection.

SmartRegs is an energy efficiency program that was implemented by the city of Boulder to take action in reducing the amount of energy and water used in the city’s rental housing properties.  This was an update to the housing code, requiring all rental units to pass the SmartRegs inspection before December 31st, 2018. A property is required to meet SmartRegs only one time! It is not a recurring requirement every four years. SmartRegs supports the climate commitment that the city has made to reduce pollution and energy usage. So if you own or manage rental properties as part of Boulder’s Rental License Program, you are on the radar for this program. Not to fear! At Scott Home Inspection, we have performed thousands of SmartRegs inspections and we can help you gain compliance in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.  Note: any home that will be a rental in Boulder that was permitted after July, 2001 does not need to be SmartRegs compliant.

What is involved in a SmartRegs inspection?

A SmartRegs inspection is essentially a home energy audit. It breaks down the house, condo or apartment into different categories, and analyzes each one to see how energy efficient the unit is as a whole. Boulder has simplified the process by creating point values for each category. The higher the points, the more energy is being saved. Here is a breakdown of each category with the most common point value ranges:

Additionally, there are 2 categories that have to do with air leakage that we will keep separate for now.

• Infiltration (Air tightness of your home) (2-6)
• Duct leakage (0-17)

The combination of all these categories has to add up to at least 100 points to achieve SmartRegs compliance.

During the inspection, we use the different categories to determine the score that each area will achieve, with the goal of achieving 100+ points or more.  The inspector will visually inspect each component of the home and determine the amount of points for each area.  For example, if you have new double-pane vinyl windows all throughout your rental unit, in most cases you will receive 13 points for the window category. This energy assessment of each category and associated scoring of energy efficiency features constitutes the bulk of the inspection.

As you can see, many of these categories have to do with the overall construction of your home. Upgrading items such as wall insulation, window types, and heating systems are pretty expensive improvements. These are sometimes necessary, but we tend to leave those as a last resort when consulting on how to gain more points. The best way to pass SmartRegs is to gain points where it is easiest first and then go from there. Let’s break down a few of the essential categories.

The most important make or break category: Attic insulation.

The largest point value category in the SmartRegs handbook is attic insulation. If you have a basic amount of attic insulation which is R-19, you get 24 points in this area. If you have less than that, you get 0. In our experience, if you get 0 points in this category there is almost no way to make it up anywhere else. So if you know that your unit does not have any attic insulation, we would advise you to add at least R-19 or more. Recommended levels of insulation in this area is at least R-38. Increasing insulation to this level or greater will give you the maximum SmartRegs points in this category.  Not to mention this is one of the best ways to save energy and have a more comfortable home for your tenants.

If you are not familiar with R-values, it is an energy rating for insulation. The more insulation you have, the higher the R- Value. In this case, R-19 is about 6 inches or more of “blown-in” insulation products like fiberglass. So be aware of this category. If you are not sure how much insulation you currently have, we will find out during our baseline SmartRegs inspection. If you are looking for an insulation company, you can find some on our contractor referrals page.

The one exception to this rule is if the rental has a unit or heated space above it. This would give you shared ceilings and full points in SmartRegs since the space above the unit is heated.

The easiest and cheapest way to gain points: Lighting

One of the basic ways a home consumes energy is through the lighting, especially in a rental home where the average college student does not pay attention to whether the lights are turned off. The good news is not all light bulbs are created equally, and there have been serious advancements in light bulb technology over the years. The SmartRegs program awards points for the percentage of energy efficient light bulbs installed. These include fluorescent bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), and LED style bulbs. You can gain up to 7 points in this category just by switching out bulbs.

We recommend that you replace all the bulbs in the house with newer LED bulbs. SmartRegs points aside, LED bulbs usually last for 10+ years with regular usage, and they have the look and color of a regular light bulb. This will help with your SmartRegs inspection and give you the added benefit of never having to change bulbs for your tenants. To get started, here are LED light bulb recommendations:

Getting the most out of the Cooling Category.

Central AC units and other similar cooling devices use a ton of electricity. Older AC units bring down your SmartRegs score because they have very low energy efficiency ratings. If you have an older 10 SEER  AC unit, you receive 0 points in this category. If you have no AC at all in the home, you gain 6 points.

A lesser known fact is that a window AC unit is likely rated lower than 10 SEER as well. This means that you are losing 6 points for having a non-permanent AC system installed in the home during the time of the inspection. If you permanently remove window AC units from the home before the inspection, we can give you the 6 extra points in this category. This can be an easy and effective way to gain points if you know your tenants are using window AC units.

The Air Leakage Categories:

If you have an initial baseline SmartRegs inspection performed on a unit, and you are still short on points, there are 2 additional testing services which can be performed to obtain more points.

Infiltration (AKA Blower Door Testing for SmartRegs)

The infiltration category is based on how air tight the rental property is. The fewer air leaks there are in the shell of the home, the more energy you will save on heating and cooling. As air escapes from the building “envelope” you are pulling in exterior air. In most months of the year, this is not energy efficient.

The way you test the air tightness of a home is by performing a blower door test. This is essentially a fan and a door assembly that is placed in an exterior doorway. The fan runs to depressurize the home, and a sample of how much air is being pulled out is taken. It is a fairly simple process that can take less than 20 minutes.

There are 7 available points in this SmartRegs category. When the city was creating the program, they understood that many of the homes would be older, and therefore likely less air tight. Because of this, you do not have to have the tightest house to gain points. Most homes tested gain between 4-6 points on average.

Scott Home Inspection offers Blower Door Testing as a separate service that can be performed after a SmartRegs Inspection, or to gain more points after you have your initial inspection with a different company. Find out more about our blower door tests here.

Understanding the Duct Leakage Category

The duct leakage category is just as it sounds. The more air tight the ducting is in a home, the more efficiently the heating and cooling system will operate. This is a general rule of thumb when it comes to homes that use forced air furnaces for their heat system.

That being said, not all homes or multi-unit properties have furnaces. Many have either a boiler or electric baseboard heating system. These systems do not have duct systems and they use radiators of some kind to distribute heat. So if you have a radiant heat system you get the full 17 points this category has to offer.

It is much more common for a home to have a furnace and duct system. For homes that need extra points, performing a duct leakage test can be one of the least expensive ways to gain several more points.

The test that the city uses for SmartRegs is called a “Duct Leakage to Outside” test. This takes into account that your ducts may not be air tight, but as long as they are leaking into the home and not outside you are still retaining that heat. If most of the duct system is within the heated areas, the home may be a good candidate for this test.

The way a duct leakage test is performed is by sealing the entire duct system at the heat registers, and connecting a fan to the return air side of the system. The ducts are depressurized while we depressurize the home with a blower door fan simultaneously. The operator will then take readings of how much air is being lost through the ducting.

Scott Home Inspection performs Duct Leakage tests as a separate service to help gain additional SmartRegs points.  We can also evaluate your SmartRegs report and help decide whether or not your home would be a good candidate for this test. Contact us to schedule or ask a question about the process.

The Wild Card: Don’t forget about your water points.

The last category of the SmartRegs inspection is the Mandatory Water Conservation section. Water conservation points are calculated separately from the 100 energy points. Along with the 100 energy points, the city requires you to have 2 water points. As you can see in the table above, there are 6 different ways to achieve this.

Energy Star appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines get you both points needed and low flow or dual-flush toilets get you two points as well. If you have one of these installed already, then you are good to go. If not, the easiest way to get the points needed is to install low flow shower heads and faucet aerators in your bathrooms. These need to be rated below a specific GPM. (gallons per minute)

• Shower Heads: Below 2.0 GPM
• Faucet Aerators: Below 1.5 GPM

You can find out if you already have these by looking for rating labels stamped on the shower head face or aerator side. If not, replacing these items is very simple and relatively inexpensive. Here are links to some good replacements products:

1.5 GPM Sava Fixed-Mount Showerhead
Low Flow 1.5 GPM WaterSense Standard Faucet Aerators

The end of 2018 is coming very fast! Get your SmartRegs Inspection done ASAP!

We recommend you get your SmartRegs inspection done sooner rather than later. During our SmartRegs inspections, we break down the best ways to gain compliance and answer any of your questions regarding the point system. After your SmartRegs inspection is done, you can always provide us pictures and/or documents showing that the improvements were made. We will then update and re-submit your report for the city’s approval.

We hope that this article will help you understand the SmartRegs requirements, so that you can be as prepared as possible.

If you need a SmartRegs inspection performed on your rental property in Boulder, we hope you will consider using our services. Give us a call or schedule your inspection online. If you have any other questions, leave a comment below. We check these posts frequently.