Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978, but it remains on the walls, windows and trim of many older buildings. As paint ages, wears or is disturbed, it can create lead dust that settles on floors and window sills — a particular risk for young children.
New Jersey responded with a statewide requirement for lead-based paint inspections of many older rental units. This article gives a general overview; owners should confirm the requirements that apply to their specific property and municipality.
The New Jersey requirement in brief
Under a state law that took effect in July 2022, most residential rental units built before 1978 must be inspected for lead-based paint hazards. The initial inspection is due at tenant turnover or by the law’s two-year deadline, whichever comes first, and inspections then recur at tenant turnover or on a periodic schedule.
Some properties are exempt — for example, units certified as free of lead-based paint, seasonal rentals occupied for short periods, and certain multiple dwellings that have already been inspected by the state. When an inspection finds no lead-based paint hazards, the owner receives a lead-safe certification.
Who can perform the inspection
Inspections can be performed by the municipality’s lead inspector or by a lead evaluation contractor certified by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, hired by the owner. Prime Environmental NJ LLC holds that certification (No. 00917). You can confirm any contractor’s certification on the state’s published list.
Visual assessment versus dust-wipe sampling
- Visual assessment looks for deteriorated paint — chipping, peeling, flaking or chalking — and for conditions such as friction and impact surfaces that can generate lead dust.
- Dust-wipe sampling collects measured wipe samples from floors and window components, which are analyzed by a laboratory for lead. In municipalities with higher rates of elevated blood lead levels in children, dust-wipe sampling is required rather than a visual assessment alone.
Preparing for an inspection
- Confirm the year the building was constructed and whether any exemption applies.
- Check with the municipality about local registration, fees and the inspection method it requires.
- Make sure the inspector can access every room, including window sills and troughs.
- Avoid cleaning immediately before a dust-wipe inspection in a way that misrepresents normal conditions; the goal is an accurate picture.
If hazards are found
When an inspection identifies lead-based paint hazards, they must be corrected through approved methods before a lead-safe certification can be issued, followed by a further inspection. Hazard correction is performed by appropriately certified contractors — separate from the independent inspection itself.
A lead-safe certification is only as reliable as the inspection behind it. Thorough access, correct sampling and accredited laboratory analysis matter.
Beyond rental compliance
Lead inspections are also valuable before renovating an older home, before buying a pre-1978 property, and whenever there is a young child or pregnant person in an older home. Lead in drinking water, from older service lines or plumbing, is a separate question that can be answered with first-draw and flushed tap sampling.