Preparing for an SNF inspection: checklist

01How does an SNF inspection work?

There are two kinds of inspection. The administrative inspection takes place every year and looks at your paperwork: have all locations been reported, have the locations you are first-responsible for been inspected, and do you meet the requirements for good employment practice and management. The location inspection is the site visit, where the inspector assesses a location against all requirements.

Inspections are carried out by independent inspection bodies that you choose yourself. In 2022 there were six, with 36 inspectors between them. According to SNF, regular location inspections were then announced to the company the day before, out of respect for residents' privacy. For an urgent inspection after a complaint, notice is as short as possible.

After the visit you hear the findings in person and receive them in writing; the inspection body also sends the outcome to SNF. Each finding is a minor or a major non-conformity. For some requirements, such as hygiene, ventilation and mould, the inspector decides how heavily a finding weighs.

The requirements themselves are covered in The SNF standard explained. This article is about preparation.

02Which documents should you have ready?

Much of the inspection is about what you can show. Make sure the following is in order and easy to find:

An up-to-date location overview with the number of residents per location. Actual occupancy must match the records; one bed more than registered is a major.
The location register (Informis) with the correct type of accommodation for each location. From 1 October 2026 the housing type is part of the administrative inspection.
A maintenance logbook: the condition of the homes is checked four times a year, with the date, the name of the person checking, the address, the findings, and how and by whom they were resolved.
Inspection certificates for the central heating boiler, gas heater and water heater, no older than two years. Since 1 March 2024 only a CO-certified installer may carry out this maintenance and inspection.
Proof of fire extinguisher maintenance. SNF stated in 2024 that maintenance at least once every two years is sufficient; some insurers require it annually.
Written statements from residents who voluntarily share a bedroom (at new locations).
A management declaration on fire safety and any notification or permit requirement (from 1 October 2026).
Proof of good employment practice: registration in the SNA register for staffing agencies, or the collective agreement declarations for your sector.

03Room-by-room checklist

Walk through every location yourself before the inspection, ideally with the same list you use for the quarterly check. The table gives, room by room, the points an inspector looks at.

Room	Check
Bedroom	At most 2 people; at least 3.5 m² per person; no bunk beds; per resident a bed of at least 80 × 200 cm with mattress, a wardrobe and a chair; no mould behind the bed or wardrobe; room not locked
Bathroom and toilet	At least 1 shower and 1 toilet per 8 people; splash-proof lighting; extractor working; no mould in joints or on the ceiling
Kitchen	Enough burners (at least 4); 30 litres of fridge and freezer space per person; fire blanket at the hob; extinguisher within 5 metres; clean
Hallway and stairs	Working smoke alarms; clear escape route; information card in a central place
Room with boiler or heater	CO alarm (not a combined smoke and CO alarm); inspection sticker and certificate no older than 2 years
Living room	Daylight; working heating; no overloaded extension leads or plug-in heaters
Laundry	Washing machine and drying facilities; no laundry drying in bedrooms
Outside and surroundings	No waste or clutter that creates a health risk; ventilation grilles not taped over

Also look at what residents have changed: an extra mattress on the floor, a taped-over grille or their own heater. These are exactly the things that appear between two checks.

Inspection-ready all year round

A sensor per room shows damp, cold and plug-in heaters before they become a finding, and photo inspections double as your logbook.

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04Where do things often go wrong?

SNF does not publish a ranking of the most common non-conformities. Its announcements and complaint figures do, however, give a good picture of the points that need attention:

Hygiene, space and heating. In the SNF factsheet for 2024, most residents' complaints concerned hygiene (65), followed by space, daylight and heating (56), capacity (37), finances (32) and facilities (30). What residents complain about is often what an inspector notices too.
Servicing by an uncertified company. If a boiler, gas heater or water heater is inspected by an installer without CO certification, the inspector records a major. Check the register of certified companies before you book someone.
Soft board ceilings. Because of the fire risk these are not allowed in new builds and must be removed during renovation. SNF advises replacing them as soon as possible; the inspector records a minor for them.
Occupancy that does not add up. More residents than registered, or a location with capacity 0 that is still in use. Give a temporarily empty location an end date; if it is back in use within six weeks no re-inspection is needed, after that it is.
Wrong housing type in the register. According to Normec the most common mistake: residential units in a building complex registered as a hotel or guesthouse.
Mould and ventilation. Mould comes back if the cause remains: moisture, a cold wall and time. More in Preventing mould and Mould damage: building defect or use?

05After the inspection: fixing findings and re-inspection

The deadlines are short, so plan the repairs straight after the visit:

Finding	Deadline	What follows
Major in the administrative inspection	10 working days	A new administrative inspection within 6 months
Major in a location inspection	6 weeks	Re-inspection; not fixed in time: suspension
Minor	By the next inspection	Checked at the next inspection

If a major is not fixed in time, this can lead to suspension and removal from the register. In 2022, 59 companies were removed from the register, 16 of them because they did not meet the requirements; the rest stopped voluntarily or ceased trading.

After a complaint SNF can order an ad hoc or urgent inspection. According to the SNF newsletter of April 2024, an ad hoc inspection costs €250 per location and an urgent inspection €1,000; these costs are charged to the company if major non-conformities are found. You also pay SNF an annual contribution that depends on the number of active locations on 1 January, and you agree inspection fees with your inspection body.

Tips for the repairs: record every finding with a photo before and after, with the date and who fixed it. That is exactly what the maintenance logbook has had to contain since 2025, and it makes the re-inspection shorter.

06How do measurements and digital records help?

In several places the standard asks for something demonstrable: demonstrably maintained ventilation, a logbook with resolved findings, dated inspections. Paper and loose photos on a phone can do the job, but it takes time to find everything on the day the inspector calls.

Damp and mould per room. A sensor measuring temperature and humidity per room shows whether a room dries out again after showering or stays damp for days. You see a room at risk of mould weeks before a black spot appears on the wall.
Heating. Measurements show whether a room stays too cold, whether the heating is not coming on, and whether there is probably a plug-in heater. These are also the points residents complain about.
Inspections with photos. A quarterly check that records pass or fail per item, with a photo and the place in the house, is your maintenance logbook straight away. A repair ticket that follows from it shows who fixed it and when.
Occupancy and beds. If you keep residents and beds in one system, the location overview with the number of residents per location is ready immediately.

eyesonrooms brings these parts together: a sensor per room for temperature and humidity, a morning email at 07:30 listing the rooms that need attention, a PDF report per room, and housing management with photo inspections, residents, beds and repair tickets. Measurements do not replace the inspection, but you know sooner where to look. See the SNF package.

This article is practical guidance, not legal advice. The current standard and inspection rules are published at normeringflexwonen.nl; if in doubt, ask your inspection body or consult a lawyer.

07Frequently asked questions

Is an SNF inspection announced?

According to SNF, regular location inspections were announced to the company the day before, out of respect for residents' privacy. For an urgent inspection after a complaint, notice is as short as possible.

How long do I have to fix a major non-conformity?

Six weeks after a location inspection, and 10 working days after the administrative inspection. A minor non-conformity must be resolved by the next inspection.

How often should I check my homes myself?

A first-responsible company uses a maintenance logbook to show that the condition of its homes is checked four times a year, including how and by whom findings were resolved.

Who may service the boiler?

Since 1 March 2024 only a CO-certified installer. An inspection by an uncertified company counts as a major non-conformity.

What does an extra inspection after a complaint cost?

According to SNF (April 2024), an ad hoc inspection costs €250 per location and an urgent inspection €1,000, charged if major non-conformities are found.

Preparing for an SNF inspection: a room-by-room checklist