Lead Paint Services
------ Below are the lead paint services we provide------
| Visual Inspection State of Maryland Certificate# 8695 |
Maintenance and Repair State of Maryland Certificate# 8739 |
| Inspections for Rental Housing Maryland laws and regulations regarding the reduction of lead paint risk in rental housing provide for inspections to be conducted at various times. A rental property which was constructed prior to 1950 must meet one of the inspection standards. The owner of a rental property of more recent construction may decide to have an inspection conducted if there is a concern regarding liability for exposure to toxic lead paint in the property. The property owner should review the available inspection options to select the inspection service which best suits his needs. Lead-Free Certification A property which has been determined to be free of lead paint is exempted both from annual registration fees and from risk reduction requirements. Contact an accredited lead paint inspection contractor who has been approved by MDE to conduct lead paint surveys. An accredited inspector or risk assessor who is employed by that contractor will perform a detailed survey of all painted surfaces to determine that there is no lead paint. NOTE: Visual Inspectors can NOT do a "Lead-Free" certification. A property which has no lead paint on interior surfaces but does have lead paint on exterior surfaces may qualify for Limited Lead-Free certificate. The inspector must determine that there is no chipping, peeling, or flaking paint on the exterior surfaces. The limited lead-free certificate must be renewed every two years, following an inspector's determination that there is no chipping, peeling, or flaking exterior paint. If the lead paint survey determines that lead paint is present, an accredited abatement supervisor or contractor can fully abate that paint. A risk assessor can issue a lead-free certificate following a determination that the abatement has been satisfactorily completed. There is, however, no obligation under the law to fully remove or otherwise permanently abate all of the lead paint in a rental property. Risk Reduction Inspections An inspection contractor can issue a certificate which indicates that there is a reduced risk of lead exposure in a rental unit. For a Full Risk Reduction certificate the inspection is generally conducted in a vacant unit prior to occupancy by a new tenant. Your insurance company may also request a copy of a full risk reduction certificate as a condition for providing lead liability coverage. NOTE: Visual Inspectors CAN do a "Risk Reduction" inspections. A Modified Risk Reduction Certificate the inspection is generally conducted in an occupied unit in response to either (a) a notice of defective paint or related conditions which may increase the risk of lead exposure or (b) a notice that a child or pregnant woman in the unit has a lead level of 15 micrograms or higher per deciliter of blood. You should note that you may meet the requirements for modified risk reduction without an inspection if your tenant signs a written agreement that the work has been completed satisfactorily. Testing for lead-contaminated dust can be used to meet either the full or modified risk reduction standard. An inspector must collect dust samples from each room in the unit. Each dust sample must be analyzed by a qualified laboratory, and the results must fall below specified levels. I general, testing for lead-contaminated dust is most likely to be successful in a clean, well-maintained property. Flaking or chalking lead paint on windows, in particular, may be an important source of lead dust in a unit. A Visual inspection can also be used to meet either the full or modified risk reduction standard. Prior to the inspection, the property owner should review the lead hazard reduction requirements of the law. All work, including cleaning, performed to meet the lead hazard reduction standards must be conducted by an accredited contractor or supervisor. After all work has been completed, an accredited visual inspector or risk assessor can verify that the necessary work has been satisfactorily completed and can then issues the essential certificate. For additional information contact the Maryland Department of the Environment, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 410-537-3825 or 1-800-776-2706 (TDY 1-800-735-2258) |
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