| Lead-based
paint was taken off the market more than 20 years ago, when scientists discovered that it
posed several deadly health hazards including blood poisoning. But the paint can still be found in millions of
homes across the nation, and its life- threatening hazards can be unleashed anew when
buyers, renters, longtime homeowners and contractors merely scrape or sand-off old layers
of paint on their walls.
Ten percent of the population has above
acceptable levels of lead paint in their bodies. EPA thinks much of it is coming from lead
paint. The purpose of this required disclosure is to alert buyers and tenants to the
dangers of lead paint and to expose offending sellers and landlords to financial risk.
This is an important issue for our nation's children and for the pocketbooks of sellers
and landlords.
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Buyers and
tenants must receive the lead paint poisoning pamphlet for housing built prior to 1978.
Landlords should attach a rider to a rental agreement where the tenant acknowledges
receipt of the pamphlet and any known lead hazards. Sample rider to
acknowledge receipt of disclosure. If
sellers and landlords don't provide the buyer/tenant with a lead paint pamphlet and the
buyer/tenant acquires lead poisoning, the seller/ landlord can be held liable for damages
caused by lead paint poisoning.
Get the pamphlet. This link will
allow you to download the approved disclosure pamphlet complete with graphics. Other Lead Paint Information
I always have a supply of lead paint
pamphlets.
Seminar speakers are careful to use the
phrase "Lead base paint and lead based paint hazards." |
You should deliver the Protect your family from Lead Paint in your home
pamphlet and any known lead studies and have the buyer/tenant acknowledge receipt. This lead paint law is very precise. See a recent legal FAQ.
One lead paint seminar speaker said he
thought the lead paint issue was much-to do-about-nothing. That was before he met a child
that was brain damaged from lead paint poisoning. The danger comes from chipping lead
paint.
I mistakenly thought housing more than a
century old must be chief offender. At lead paint display at the Realtors
convention, I learned the amount of lead in the paint was highest between 1930 -1955.
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