NJ Lead Paint Inspection

NJ Lead Paint inspection requirements for rental properties.

What dwellings are required to be inspected and what dwellings are exempt?

All single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwellings must be inspected by July 22, 2024 and issued a Lead Safe certificate.

All rental dwelling units required to be inspected must be inspected for lead-based paint within two years of the effective date of the law, July 22, 2022, or upon tenant turnover, whichever is earlier. This means that the first inspection must take place no later than July 22, 2024.

After the initial inspection, all units shall be inspected for lead-based paint hazards every three years, or upon tenant turnover, whichever is earlier. An inspection upon tenant turnover is not required if the owner has a valid lead-safe certificate. Lead-safe certificates are valid for two years. If the lead-safe certificate has expired, and there will be a tenant turnover, an inspection will be necessary before the three-year inspection.

In all scenarios, the next inspection should be scheduled three years from the date of issuance of the most recent valid lead-safe certification.

The following dwellings are exempt:

• Dwellings that were constructed during or after 1978.
• Single-family and two-family seasonal rental dwellings which are rented for less than six-months duration each year by tenants that do not have consecutive lease renewals.
• Dwellings that have been certified to be free of lead-based paint pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:17-3.6(b).
• Multiple rental dwellings that have been registered with the Department of Community Affairs for at least ten years and have no outstanding lead violations from the most recent cyclical inspection performed on the multiple dwelling under the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law” (N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1).
  • This means that all multiple dwellings constructed prior to 1978 and registered with the Department for at least ten years that have a certificate of inspection issued by the Department of Community Affairs, Bureau of Housing Inspection, are exempt from this requirement.
  • A multiple dwelling that has been registered with the Department for at least ten years with an open inspection that has no violations for paint is also exempt from this requirement.

Dwellings with a valid lead-safe certificate issued pursuant to this law, P.L.2021, c.182. Lead-safe certificates are valid for two years from the date of issuance.