A.5.7.3.2 Buildings – Year Built

A. The year built must be reported for each building. Generally, exact dates are not required, and year built may be determined based on readily available, credible evidence. However, in some cases, exact dates are critical because of the effective dates of statutory or regulatory requirements. Among such requirements are those for design and construction of multifamily buildings in the Fair Housing Act (42 USC 3604(f)(3)(C), and 24 CFR 100.205). The design and construction requirements apply to any building first occupied after March 13, 1991, unless a building permit for that building was issued on or before June 15, 1990. Since these requirements apply to buildings and not properties, and properties often have multiple buildings with different building permit and or occupancy permit dates, the e-Tool obligates the preparer to identify a specific year built for each building. If the year built is outside the range of years 1990, 1991, and 1992, no specific dates for occupancy or building permits are required as entries on the Buildings screen. However, if the year built is 1990, 1991, or 1992, then the Needs Assessor must confirm and enter the actual date of the first occupancy, usually with an occupancy permit, as well as the date of the building permit. The e-Tool uses this data together with other user responses to identify covered units among those inspected and requires the Needs Assessor to determine (yes or no) whether the covered units inspected conform to the design and construction requirements. (Note that these are not the only requirements for which specific dates are consequential. For example, lead based paint testing is required for buildings constructed before January 1, 1978. But accessibility requirements are the only rule based and date related elements built into the logic of the CNA e-Tool.)