Sample · Photo Check

What Clavera tells you when you snap a photo.

Three real examples from Jersey City rentals — an outlet, a smoke detector, and a window. No pass/fail verdicts. No accuracy scores. Just what's visible, what's worth a closer look, and what the inspector will still need to confirm in person.

How to read a Photo Check

Every result has the same three parts.

What we see in this photo

Plain-language description of what's clearly visible in the frame. High-confidence facts only.

Worth a closer look

Things that may not meet the NSPIRE standard, in softening language. Any low-confidence observation lives here.

Not visible from this photo

What the inspector will still check that a photo can't confirm — battery age, GFCI trip test, window lock function.

Three sample results

The same three Jersey City landlords run these every month.

Want to see your own outlet, smoke alarm, or window in the slot? Upload a photo below — it stays in your browser and replaces the sample for preview only.

Beige kitchen wall outlet with two receptacles, photographed about 18 inches away, sink visible at lower edge.

NSPIRE · Electrical · Outlets & receptacles

Wall outlet, two receptacles, photographed from about 18 inches away.

Try your own outlet

Drag a photo here, or click choose. Stays in your browser — nothing uploaded.

Camera angle

outlet

Distance: 12–18 in
Angle: Square / 90°
Lens level: Outlet height

Stand straight in front of the wall, lens parallel to the outlet.

What to photograph

0/5

Stand 12–18 inches from the wall, lens square to the outlet.
Frame the entire cover plate plus 2–3 inches of wall around it.
Turn on the room light — no flash, no shadows across the receptacle.
If it's near a sink or counter, include the sink edge in the frame.
Make sure the TEST/RESET buttons (if any) are clearly readable.

Sample 01

Kitchen outlet near the sink

What we see in this photo

Outlet cover plate is intact and sits flush against the wall.
Both receptacle openings are unobstructed and free of visible debris.

Worth a closer look

Receptacle is within roughly 3 feet of a sink and may need to be GFCI-protected. The face plate doesn't show a visible TEST/RESET button.
Faint scorch marks appear near the lower receptacle slot. Worth a closer in-person look before tenants plug anything in.

Not visible from this photo

Whether the GFCI actually trips when tested.
Whether the outlet is properly grounded (requires a plug-in tester).

White ceiling-mounted smoke alarm in a residential hallway, green status light illuminated.

NSPIRE · Life safety · Smoke alarms

Ceiling-mounted smoke alarm, photographed straight up from the hallway floor.

Try your own smoke alarm

Drag a photo here, or click choose. Stays in your browser — nothing uploaded.

Camera angle

smoke

Distance: Directly under
Angle: Tilt up · 90°
Lens level: Floor → ceiling

Stand under the alarm, point the lens straight up at the ceiling.

What to photograph

0/5

Stand directly under the alarm and point the camera straight up.
Get the entire alarm housing in the frame, plus a ring of ceiling around it.
Use room lighting — flash washes out the status LED.
Hold steady so the brand label and any date sticker stay readable.
Take a second photo of the side/edge to capture the manufacture date if it's there.

Sample 02

Hallway smoke detector

What we see in this photo

A smoke alarm is mounted on the ceiling, visibly intact, with no missing housing.
Status light is illuminated, suggesting the unit is receiving power.

Worth a closer look

The alarm appears to lack a manufacture date sticker visible in the frame. NSPIRE requires alarms to be replaced 10 years from manufacture date.

Not visible from this photo

Whether the alarm sounds when the test button is pressed.
Whether a separate carbon monoxide alarm is installed within the required distance of sleeping areas.

Interior view of a closed double-hung white wooden window with a sash lock at the meeting rail.

NSPIRE · Building & exterior · Windows

Interior view of a double-hung window in the closed position.

Try your own window

Drag a photo here, or click choose. Stays in your browser — nothing uploaded.

Camera angle

window

Distance: 4–6 ft
Angle: Square / 90°
Lens level: Mid-window

Step back so the full frame, sashes, and sill all fit in one shot.

What to photograph

0/5

Close the window fully and engage the sash lock before shooting.
Stand 4–6 feet back so the whole window — frame, sashes, sill — is in frame.
Shoot from inside, lens parallel to the glass, no extreme angles.
Open the curtains/blinds and let in daylight; avoid backlighting if you can.
Take a second close-up of the sash lock and any peeling paint along the sill.

Sample 03

Bedroom double-hung window

What we see in this photo

Window glass is intact with no visible cracks or holes.
Window is in the closed position with the upper and lower sashes meeting at the meeting rail.

Worth a closer look

A sash lock is visible at the meeting rail but its engagement state isn't clear from this angle. Worth confirming the lock fully engages.
Paint along the lower sash appears to lack a smooth, intact finish in places. If the unit was built before 1978, peeling paint may trigger lead-paint follow-up.

Not visible from this photo

Whether the window opens, stays open without propping, and closes smoothly.
Whether the window has a working screen if required by the unit's location.

Clavera · Photo Check

What to photograph — field checklist

Take to the property. Each section lists the shots needed for a clean Photo Check. Clavera flags what it sees; the HUD-certified inspector makes the final call on inspection day.

Sample 01 · NSPIRE · Electrical · Outlets & receptacles

Kitchen outlet near the sink

Wall outlet, two receptacles, photographed from about 18 inches away.

01Stand 12–18 inches from the wall, lens square to the outlet.
02Frame the entire cover plate plus 2–3 inches of wall around it.
03Turn on the room light — no flash, no shadows across the receptacle.
04If it's near a sink or counter, include the sink edge in the frame.
05Make sure the TEST/RESET buttons (if any) are clearly readable.

Sample 02 · NSPIRE · Life safety · Smoke alarms

Hallway smoke detector

Ceiling-mounted smoke alarm, photographed straight up from the hallway floor.

01Stand directly under the alarm and point the camera straight up.
02Get the entire alarm housing in the frame, plus a ring of ceiling around it.
03Use room lighting — flash washes out the status LED.
04Hold steady so the brand label and any date sticker stay readable.
05Take a second photo of the side/edge to capture the manufacture date if it's there.

Sample 03 · NSPIRE · Building & exterior · Windows

Bedroom double-hung window

Interior view of a double-hung window in the closed position.

01Close the window fully and engage the sash lock before shooting.
02Stand 4–6 feet back so the whole window — frame, sashes, sill — is in frame.
03Shoot from inside, lens parallel to the glass, no extreme angles.
04Open the curtains/blinds and let in daylight; avoid backlighting if you can.
05Take a second close-up of the sash lock and any peeling paint along the sill.

Clavera flags what it sees and points to the HUD standard. It isn't a substitute for a licensed trade or the HUD-certified inspector — the inspector makes the final call on inspection day.

What Clavera tells you when you snap a photo.

Every result has the same three parts.

The same three Jersey City landlords run these every month.

Kitchen outlet near the sink

Hallway smoke detector

Bedroom double-hung window

Run this on your own units before the inspector does.