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Water heater straps aren't explicitly detailed in the passages shown here, but they're referenced as an example of a straightforward, correctable safety item that we appraisers are expected to flag during our inspection — similar in category to smoke detectors and garage door safety sensors. The guidelines treat missing or improperly installed water heater straps the same way they handle other specific, fixable deficiencies: as something a seller can quickly and inexpensively correct rather than as a complex code interpretation question. When we spot one that's missing or visibly not doing its job, we report it as a needed repair rather than leaving it to the lender to discover later.

Straight from HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1, Garage Door Auto-Reverse Safety (16 CFR Part 1211 / UL 325), and Garage Conversions & Attic Stairs (IRC R302.6 fire separation; FHA/VA guidance) — nothing added.

Read the actual documents:

→ Handbook 4000.1 Transmittal (2023-01-18) (official agency copy)

→ Garage Door Auto Reverse Safety (Chief Appraiser Document Library)

→ Garage Conversions and Attic Stairs (Chief Appraiser Document Library)

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📖 Want the complete reference, not just this passage? See the full HUD/FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 (full handbook) →

© Copyright Notice: © Fannie Mae. UAD 3.6 / URAR reference materials shown for research and reference only. Full documents available at fanniemae.com/uad. Reproduction restricted per Fannie Mae copyright policy.

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#1 HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 Page 622

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that faucets function appropriately, that both cold and hot water run, and that there are no readily observable evidence of leaks or structural damage under fixtures. The…

HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 · Handbook_4000.1_Transmittal.pdf · Page 622 · View at official source (HUD.gov — SFH Handbook 4000.1) → · Last verified: 2026-10-01

that faucets function appropriately, that both cold and hot water run, and that there are no readily observable evidence of leaks or structural damage under fixtures. The Appraiser must examine the water heater to ensure that it has a temperature and pressure-relief valve with piping to safely divert escaping steam or hot water. If the Property has a septic system, the Appraiser must visually observe it for any signs of failure or surface evidence of malfunction. If there are readily observable deficiencies, the Appraiser must require repair or further inspection. g. Roof Covering (09/14/2015) The Appraiser must notify the Mortgagee of the deficiency of MPR or MPS if the roof covering does not prevent entrance of moisture or provide reasonable

#2 VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) Page 267

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heating water for domestic use; • solar heating and cooling systems; • caulking and weather-stripping; • furnace efficiency modifications limited to replacement burners, boilers,…

VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) · VA-Lender-Handbook.pdf · Page 267 · View at official source (VA.gov — Appraisers/Staff Appraisal Reviewer) →

heating water for domestic use; • solar heating and cooling systems; • caulking and weather-stripping; • furnace efficiency modifications limited to replacement burners, boilers, or furnaces designed to reduce the firing rate or to achieve a reduction in the amount of fuel consumed as a result of increased combustion efficiency, devices for modifying flue openings which will increase the efficiency of the heating system, and electrical or mechanical furnace ignition systems which replace standing gas pilot lights; • clock thermostats; • new or additional ceiling, attic, wall and floor insulation; • water heater insulation; • storm windows and/or doors, including thermal windows and/or doors; • heat pumps; and • vapor barriers. b. Borrower Notice on the NOV Information on EEMs

#3 HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 Page 708

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glass tinting • grates, furnace • guard rails • guttering • heat control devices • incinerators • insulation • interior work • ironing board, permanently installed • Jacuzzi,…

HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 · Handbook_4000.1_Transmittal.pdf · Page 708 · View at official source (HUD.gov — SFH Handbook 4000.1) → · Last verified: 2026-10-01

glass tinting • grates, furnace • guard rails • guttering • heat control devices • incinerators • insulation • interior work • ironing board, permanently installed • Jacuzzi, inside bathroom • jalousies • lattice work • utility building (sheds); permanent masonry /concrete foundation • vaults • venetian/mini blinds • ventilation hoods • ventilation systems • vents • verandas • wall heaters • wallboards • walls • warehouses • washtubs • water conditioners permanently installed in plumbing system (purifiers, softeners, sterilizers) • water coolers (permanent) • water heaters • water systems • water tower • water wells (must have Structure on Property and previously had water supply) • waterproofing • weatherstripping • wells (together with pumping and piping equipment) • Special

#4 VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) Page 441

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Minimum Property Requirements 12-30 23. Heating Change Date March 28, 2019 • This chapter has been revised in its entirety. a. Requirement Heating must be permanently installed…

VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) · VA-Lender-Handbook.pdf · Page 441 · View at official source (VA.gov — Appraisers/Staff Appraisal Reviewer) →

Minimum Property Requirements 12-30 23. Heating Change Date March 28, 2019 • This chapter has been revised in its entirety. a. Requirement Heating must be permanently installed and maintain a temperature of at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit in areas with plumbing. b. Non-Vented Heater If the dwelling will have a permanently installed, non-electric, non-vented fireplace or other non-vented space heater: • the NOV must be conditioned to require the Veteran’s written acknowledgement that the dwelling contains a non-vented fireplace or space heater which has not been inspected by VA, and • a licensed heating/air conditioning contractor must certify in writing that the non-vented appliance is equipped with an approved Oxygen Depletion Sensor and meets the local building authority requirements (if

#5 UAD 3.6 / URAR (FNMA) Page 78

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Source: The source of water for the property. • Cistern • Hauled Water Holding Tank • Lake or Spring • Well • Other (Describe) 4.072 4.078 4.084 4.090 4.096 Electricity Gas…

UAD 3.6 / URAR (FNMA) · Appendix F-1 URAR Reference Guide v1.3.pdf · Page 78 · View at official source (fanniemae.com/uad) →

Source: The source of water for the property. • Cistern • Hauled Water Holding Tank • Lake or Spring • Well • Other (Describe) 4.072 4.078 4.084 4.090 4.096 Electricity Gas Sanitary Sewer Water Other (Describe) (Detail) Required for each utility that is connected to the site when Utility Ownership is Non- Public Yes | No Utility Shared: Indicates whether the utility is shared with another property. If Yes, “(Shared)” displays. 4.090 Water (Detail) Required for FHA appraisals when there is no public water connected to the site (no checkmark is displayed in the Public column) Yes | No Public Water Available Not Connected • Yes (Public water available not connected) • No (Public water not available) Reference the appropriate

#6 Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption) Page 13

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[Excerpt withheld: the fair-use viewing limit for this document has been reached for this session. See the source document itself for more.]

Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements (IRC R315 model code; NV local adoption) · CO_Detectors_Near_Garages.txt · Page 13

[Excerpt withheld: the fair-use viewing limit for this document has been reached for this session. See the source document itself for more.]

#7 Garage Door Auto-Reverse Safety (16 CFR Part 1211 / UL 325) Page 9

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a pre-1993 opener that was never required to have one, a sensor that has been removed, unplugged, or miswired after installation, which is a common real-world failure mode noted…

Garage Door Auto-Reverse Safety (16 CFR Part 1211 / UL 325) · Garage_Door_Auto_Reverse_Safety.txt · Page 9

a pre-1993 opener that was never required to have one, a sensor that has been removed, unplugged, or miswired after installation, which is a common real-world failure mode noted by home inspectors, or a non-compliant or improperly installed replacement opener. None of these possibilities are something an agent or appraiser needs to diagnose technically, but the presence or clear absence of a working photoelectric sensor pair is a straightforward, visually verifiable item, unlike code-adoption questions that vary by jurisdiction. A missing or visibly disconnected sensor is worth flagging to the seller as an inexpensive, quick repair, similar in spirit to the water heater strap and smoke detector items already covered in the Garage and Fire Safety section of this library,

#8 Garage Conversions & Attic Stairs (IRC R302.6 fire separation; FHA/VA guidance) Page 13

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compliant means of attic access are all part of the same underlying fire-separation system, and a deficiency in any one of them can be flagged the same way an appraiser or…

Garage Conversions & Attic Stairs (IRC R302.6 fire separation; FHA/VA guidance) · Garage_Conversions_and_Attic_Stairs.txt · Page 13

compliant means of attic access are all part of the same underlying fire-separation system, and a deficiency in any one of them can be flagged the same way an appraiser or inspector would flag a missing water heater strap or a missing smoke detector: as a specific, correctable repair item rather than an abstract code violation. Where more than one of these items is deficient at the same time, such as a converted garage with both a non-rated stair and a hollow interior door, it is worth treating the whole fire-separation system as needing attention together rather than addressing one item and assuming the rest is fine, since these systems are typically installed and inspected as a set during original

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