■ Environmental Business
Continued From Page 30 municipality would be required to inspect the unit prior to issuing a new certificate of occupancy .
Not every residential rental will be inspected . According to the Department of Community Affairs ( DCA ), rental units exempt from this new inspection include :
◾ Single family and two-family rental Units constructed during or after 1978
◾ Vacation properties that are rented no longer than 6 months at a time
◾ Properties that have been certified lead free
◾ Multi-family properties that are registered with the DCA for at least 10 years with no outstanding violations
◾ Properties that have been certified lead-safe .
Two Types of Evaluation Testing Methods
“ For municipalities with under 3 percent of children reported to have elevated blood lead levels , a visual inspection will be required ,” Dr . Sallemi explains , adding “ If the visual inspection reveals chipping , cracking , or paint dust may be present , a surface dust wipe-sampling must also be utilized .”
Collected surface wipe samples are then sent out for analysis . If evidence of lead is measured , the municipality will require remediation of the affected surfaces . This remediation varies from simply painting a wall , door , or window to exacting more substantial repairs .
For municipalities having children documented to have elevated lead levels ( above 3 percent ), both a visual inspection and a surface wipe test will be required on every eligible rental unit by the July 2024 deadline .
At this point in time , some municipalities are scrambling . To manage compliance , they must identify and communicate with rental property owners . They must also develop a database to track inspections , violations , and certificates issued . They also must train their professionals or find qualified outsourced inspectors to handle the inspections . Licensing of lead paint inspectors requires training by a qualified third-party facility . In addition , licensing for visual inspections differs from qualifications required for performing surface wipe sample testing .
While GZA is a licensed lead evaluation contractor under DCA , and its employees have licensed by the State Department of Health , the firm has also taken a unique additional step to help municipalities handle the complex details of the overall compliance process .
The firm has developed a GIS web-based software tool that tracks every property in a municipality to ensure compliance with the regulation . The software displays a map of the town with property information , lead-based program information , and allows officials to note when inspections are due , when they are complete , and can even print out the compliance certificates
New regulations require municipalities to inspect all pre-1978 rental homes for lead-based paint by July 24 , 2024 .
Municipalities will be seeking out licensed lead evaluation contractors to adhere to new regulations .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / Maudib to deliver to property owners . The municipality provides GZA with information regarding rental parcels that fall under inspection regulation . The company will be offering the software in concert with their inspection services .
Notes for Rental Property Owners
Rental property owners should brace for significant additional costs associated with these compliance mandates . Municipalities will establish fees required to recover costs for data collection , reporting , inspections and analysis . Fees will ultimately vary depending on the size of the rental and the condition of the unit . Inspections and testing could range from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars . If problems are identified requiring remediation , the fix could be hundreds or thousands of dollars more .
However , home owners have the right to hire their own qualified inspector to perform the required tests and reporting . Once inspections have been completed and the unit is deemed free of exposed lead paint , the owner of the rental unit will be issued a certificate , which will be valid for two years .
Ignoring inspections is not an option . “ If a municipality feels the owner is not in compliance with the regulation ,” Dr . Sallemi notes , “ The municipality can issue a violation . The owner will have 30 days to rectify that violation , or have a qualified contractor perform the inspection .” Violations can be as high as thousands of dollars per unit per week .
The regulations also establish a $ 20 per rental unit fee ( on top of municipal fees ) which will be used to fund the state ’ s Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund , offering grants , lead awareness programs , and training .
For more details , read the Department of Community Affairs booklet , Guide to Lead-Based Paint in Rental Dwellings , which is available as a PDF on the League of Municipalities website ,
https :// www . njlm . org / DocumentCenter .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / DarrenTownsend
December 2022 COMMERCE 31