Not legal advice. This is a free reference compiled from official government sources. Laws change and local details matter. Confirm every deadline with the official source or a licensed attorney before you rely on it.
Last verified: · Confidence: medium
Lead paint disclosure and certifications
Federal lead disclosure for pre-1978 housing, plus state and city lead registrations, inspections and certificates.
| Where | Rule | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (federal) | Lead-based paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet before lease signing (pre-1978 housing) | Before the tenant is obligated under the lease (before signing / before accepting an offer to lease) | verified, high confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| United States (federal) | Signed lead disclosure attachment with lease; keep for 3 years | Keep the signed disclosure for at least 3 years from the lease start; the date shown is the earliest you may discard it | verified, high confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| Massachusetts | Delead or contain lead hazards when a child under 6 lives in the unit | When a child under 6 resides in the unit (new owners: within 90 days of change of ownership) | verified, high confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| Maryland | Lead risk reduction standard + inspection before each new tenant (pre-1978) | At each change in occupancy, before the next tenant moves in | verified, high confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| New Jersey | Lead-based paint inspection/lead-safe certification: every 3 years or at tenant turnover (pre-1978) | Every 3 years from the last lead safe certification; also: tenant turnover unless a lead-safe certificate (valid 2 years) is still valid | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| New York | NYS Lead Rental Registry: register and obtain a Lead Safety Certificate at least every 3 years (25 communities, pre-1980, 2+ units) | Every 3 years from the last lead safety certificate | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| Massachusetts | Tenant Lead Law Notification and lead records before renting (pre-1978) | Prior to entering into a tenancy agreement | verified, high confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| New York City, NY | Annual visual lead investigation in units with a child under 6 | Every year from the last investigation | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Lead Safe (or Lead Free) certification before lease and for license; Lead Safe based on inspection no older than 4 years | Every 4 years from the last lead inspection; also: before each new lease and each license renewal | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| New York City, NY | Lead-safe turnover work before a new tenant moves in | At each tenant turnover, before the new tenant takes occupancy | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
| Rochester, NY | Pre-1980 rentals in Lead High-Risk Area: active C of O by 10/1/2026, then 3-year inspections with dust-wipe testing | Every 3 years from the certificate of occupancy issue date; first deadline 2026-10-01 | verified, medium confidence, checked 2026-10-20 |
Other topics: Security deposit return · Deposit receipts and bank notices · Security deposit interest · Rental registration and licensing · Rental inspections and certificates · Smoke and CO alarms · Required tenant notices · Rent increase notice · Non-renewal and termination notice · Notice before entry · Income tax filing · Estimated tax payments · Information returns (1099s).