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Would a bathroom without a GFCI outlet in a rented appartment be a violation? I have section 8 and my apartment failed inspection because of this.

DMoore
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lisa adams
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  • Do you have an outlet that isn't GFCI protected, or is there no outlet at all? – alt Dec 13 '14 at 15:58
  • You can switch outlets for less than $10 with a pair of pliers, screwdriver, and the power to that (or everything) turned off. – DMoore Dec 18 '14 at 04:00

2 Answers2

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If you failed an inspection they must tell you why.

As Alt asked above, do you not have a receptacle at all, or is there one there but not GFI protected?

Under codes going back to the 70's bathroom receptacles must be GFI protected. Before that there was no GFI protection so an earlier installation could very well have a non-GFI protected receptacle and still be 100% code legal, as long as no renovations have been done to the bathroom.

On to your question, again, if you failed there must be a reason for it. What kind of "inspection" was it? I don't know what Section 8 is, but if it's some sort of assistance program they tend to have some very strict rules and can make landlords do a lot of things a private rental would not have to do. So in summary, you may very well have to install a GFI protected receptacle to be part of this program.

Speedy Petey
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  • There are a number of codes that that might have been legal when a dwelling was constructed but are not legal now if it is rented. A big one that comes to mind are smoke/CO alarms. – diceless Dec 18 '14 at 04:31
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Yes. Bathroom receptacles must be GFCI protected. That's not to say there must be a GFCI receptacle, just that they must be GFCI protected. The protection can be provided via a GFCI breaker or other device.

Tester101
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