Lead Safety: The Role of Property Owners
As a property owner, you play a crucial role in ensuring the lead safety of your dwellings. Maintaining a valid Certificate of Lead Conformance (CLC) is now mandatory.
By Jess Powers
As a property owner, you play a crucial role in ensuring the lead safety of your dwellings. Maintaining a valid Certificate of Lead Conformance (CLC) is now mandatory. This certificate signifies that your property has undergone the necessary lead inspections and has been deemed compliant with lead safety standards.
Duties of Property Owners for Pre-1978 Rental Dwellings
1. Learning About Lead Hazards
As a property owner of pre-1978 rental dwellings, it's now imperative to educate yourself about lead hazards through training. Understanding the risks associated with lead exposure is the first step in ensuring the safety of your tenants and the compliance of your property.
2. Inspecting for Lead Hazards
Regular property inspections are now mandatory. You must inspect your rental property for lead hazards as required by law. This entails a thorough examination of potential lead sources within the property, including lead-based paint, to identify any hazards that may exist.
3. Addressing Identified Hazards
If lead hazards are discovered during inspections, it's your responsibility to promptly rectify these issues to meet safety standards. This may involve lead abatement or remediation measures to ensure the safety of your tenants and comply with the law.
4. Providing Tenant Information
Tenants have the right to be informed about lead hazards and inspections. It's your duty to provide them with information regarding lead hazards, potential risks, and any actions taken to address these hazards. Open and transparent communication with your tenants is crucial.
5. Timely Correction of Hazards
Should tenants notify you of deteriorating lead hazards within the property, it's essential to act swiftly. Correct any identified lead hazards within 30 days of being notified by your tenants. Timely action not only ensures tenant safety but also keeps you in compliance with the law.
New Property Owners and Transition Period
If you're a new property owner of pre-1978 dwellings, there's a 60-day transition period for you to address any lead hazards. This period allows you to become familiar with the property's lead safety status and rectify any outstanding issues if the previous owner did not meet the requirements.
Tenant's Right to Seek Review
Tenants hold the right to seek a review by the housing resources commission if they receive no response from you regarding deteriorating lead hazards or if they are dissatisfied with your response. The housing resources commission has the authority to issue notices to property owners for violations, ensuring tenant concerns are taken seriously.
Exemptions
It's important to note that this law does not apply to certain rental units, including properties that already have a full lead-safe or lead-free certificate; temporary, seasonal housing rented 100 days in a calendar year to the same tenant;, or housing designated for residents age 62 or older. These exemptions recognize specific circumstances where lead hazard mitigation may not be applicable.
Rhode Island Realtor and broker with Real Broker LLC. 15 years helping buyers, sellers and relocating families across RI, Southern Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut.
