[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":161},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-nyc-lead-paint-apartment-turnover-en-US":3},{"guide":4,"related":141},{"title":5,"seoTitle":6,"description":7,"summary":8,"sections":9,"faq":102,"date":118,"service":119,"order":120,"sources":121,"slug":139,"locale":140},"Lead paint requirements at apartment turnover for NYC landlords","NYC Lead Paint Rules at Turnover","What NYC landlords of pre-1960 rentals must do at turnover under Local Law 1: required lead paint work, XRF testing, dust clearance limits and records.","In New York City, every time a unit in a pre-1960 rental building becomes vacant, the owner must complete specific lead-based paint work before the new tenant moves in, whether or not a child will live there. The work includes repairing peeling paint, removing lead paint from door and window friction surfaces, and making floors, windowsills and window wells smooth and cleanable, all using safe work practices. The owner certifies the work on the lease notice and keeps the records for at least 10 years. Units that passed XRF testing with no lead-based paint can avoid most of these obligations through an HPD lead-free exemption.",[10,21,42,47,60,85,93,97],{"heading":11,"paragraphs":12,"list":14,"after":19},"Which rentals are covered",[13],"Local Law 1 of 2004 requires owners to presume that paint is lead-based in the buildings listed below, unless HPD has granted an exemption based on testing.",[15,16,17,18],"Multiple dwellings (three or more residential units) built before 1960.","Multiple dwellings built from January 1, 1960 to January 1, 1978, if the owner knows there is lead-based paint.","Tenant-occupied units in one- and two-family houses built before 1960.","Co-op and condominium units that are rented out and not occupied by the owner or the owner's family.",[20],"Many owners of two-family houses assume these rules do not apply because the building is not a multiple dwelling. HPD lists tenant-occupied units in pre-1960 one- and two-family houses among the covered dwellings, and the XRF testing requirement applies to them as well.",{"heading":22,"table":23},"Three compliance timelines owners should track",{"caption":24,"head":25,"rows":29},"Lead paint deadlines as of October 2026",[26,27,28],"Requirement","Deadline","Notes",[30,34,38],[31,32,33],"XRF testing of all units and common areas (Local Law 31 of 2020)","August 9, 2025, now passed","Buildings not yet tested should be tested without delay.",[35,36,37],"Abatement work in units where a child under six resides","The earliest of the next turnover, July 1, 2027 for a child residing as of January 1, 2025, or three years after a child begins to reside","Applies regardless of whether peeling paint is visible.",[39,40,41],"Annual notice to tenants","Deliver January 1 to 16, collect by February 15, notify the Health Department of non-responses February 16 to March 1","Repeats every year in covered buildings without an exemption.",{"heading":43,"paragraphs":44},"XRF testing under Local Law 31",[45,46],"All rental units and common areas in covered buildings had to be tested for lead-based paint at the 0.5 mg\u002Fcm² action level by August 9, 2025. The test must be performed by an EPA-certified lead inspector or risk assessor who is not the owner, the owner's agent, or a contractor involved in lead paint remediation. Failure to test can result in a Class C immediately hazardous violation with civil penalties of $1,500 per unit or common area.","When testing finds no lead-based paint, or after lead-based paint has been permanently removed or encapsulated, the owner may apply for a lead-free exemption through HPD's Lead Exemption Online Portal (LEOP). Exemptions are granted only for testing with an XRF device whose Performance Characteristic Sheet is issued at the 0.5 mg\u002Fcm² level. Exemptions granted under the former 1.0 mg\u002Fcm² standard are revoked automatically at the next turnover, and the owner should file an Affidavit of Turnover with HPD.",{"heading":48,"paragraphs":49,"list":51,"after":58},"Work required before a new tenant moves in",[50],"HPD requires the following work at every turnover in a covered unit, regardless of whether the incoming tenant has a child.",[52,53,54,55,56,57],"Repair all peeling paint and the underlying defects, such as leaks. At a minimum, this means wet scraping and repainting.","Remove lead-based paint from chewable surfaces with bite marks, or encapsulate them with an approved hard, puncture-resistant encapsulant applied by a certified contractor.","Remove lead-based paint from window sashes and window frames.","Remove lead-based paint from all door and door-frame friction surfaces, which may require replacing the door and frame.","Make all bare floors, windowsills and window wells smooth and cleanable.","Perform all of the work above using the required safe work practices.",[59],"Door and window friction surfaces must be abated even when the paint is intact, unless they were abated previously. Work missed at one turnover must be completed at the next turnover, or sooner if a child under six moves in. Once the work is finished, the owner certifies compliance on the Lease\u002FCommencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards, gives the tenant the Lead Paint Hazards in the Home pamphlet, and provides documentation of the work if the tenant requests it.",{"heading":61,"paragraphs":62,"table":64,"after":83},"Dust clearance testing and the new limits",[63],"After lead work, dust wipe samples from floors, windowsills and window wells must show lead below the clearance thresholds. The clearance samples must be taken by an EPA-certified firm that is independent of the firm that did the work and of the owner. On September 17, 2026, the Board of Health adopted lower thresholds and a requirement that laboratories hold both NLLAP and ELAP accreditation.",{"caption":65,"head":66,"rows":70},"NYC Health Code lead dust thresholds, in micrograms per square foot",[67,68,69],"Surface","Thresholds in the Health Code before the amendment","Thresholds adopted September 17, 2026",[71,75,79],[72,73,74],"Floors","5","4",[76,77,78],"Windowsills","40","32",[80,81,82],"Window wells","100","80",[84],"Confirm the effective date of the new thresholds with the Health Department or HPD before scheduling clearance. In practice, the lower limits mean more thorough cleaning. Old wood floors with open joints and worn finishes are the most difficult surfaces to clear, and sealing or covering them is often the practical way to make them smooth and cleanable.",{"heading":86,"list":87},"Safe work practices and qualified firms",[88,89,90,91,92],"In a unit or common area where a child under six resides, safe work practices are required, with records kept, whenever more than two square feet of lead-based paint or paint of unknown lead content is disturbed.","Work that disturbs lead-based paint must be performed by certified workers and firms, and work that corrects an HPD or Health Department violation must be performed by an EPA-certified abatement firm, not a renovation firm.","Wet methods, plastic containment and HEPA vacuums keep dust under control; dry sanding and high-heat paint removal on old sashes and trim make clearance much harder to achieve.","Replacing old windows and doors is often more practical than stripping friction surfaces, and new windows can also reduce drafts and heating costs.","When work cannot be done safely with occupants present, the owner must offer suitable temporary relocation in a unit without lead-based paint hazards.",{"heading":94,"paragraphs":95},"Records and HPD audits",[96],"Owners must keep records of turnover inspections, all work performed, contractor certifications, safe work practice documentation, annual notices and tenant responses, testing results and any exemptions for at least 10 years, and transfer them to a new owner when the property is sold. HPD selects buildings for record audits and issues a Record Production Order. In fiscal year 2025, HPD audited close to 700 buildings, and almost 650 of them received violations for failing to provide the requested documents. Failure to meet the work or record-keeping requirements can result in Class C immediately hazardous violations.",{"heading":98,"paragraphs":99},"Planning the turnover and how we can help",[100,101],"The cost of lead work at turnover depends mainly on the number of windows and doors, whether they are stripped or replaced, the condition of the floors, and how many clearance rounds are needed. Combining the lead work with the rest of the turnover avoids repainting and recleaning twice. Our guide on reducing rental turnover costs covers finishes and scheduling for the rest of the unit.","We plan the turnover scope, schedule the required lead work with appropriately certified firms, coordinate the independent clearance testing, carry out the related repairs, window and door replacement and finishes, and assemble the documentation package that HPD may request. We do not perform XRF testing or clearance sampling, which must remain independent. This guide is general information, not legal advice; HPD's Lead Information Line is 212-863-5501.",[103,106,109,112,115],{"q":104,"a":105},"Do these rules apply to a two-family house I rent out?","Yes, if the house was built before 1960 and the unit is occupied by a tenant. HPD includes tenant-occupied units in pre-1960 one- and two-family houses among the covered dwellings, and the XRF testing requirement applies to rental units in these houses.",{"q":107,"a":108},"Is turnover work required if the new tenant has no children?","Yes. HPD requires the turnover work every time a unit becomes vacant and a new tenant moves in, regardless of whether the new tenant has a child under six.",{"q":110,"a":111},"Can the contractor who did the work also do the clearance test?","No. Dust clearance samples must be taken by an EPA-certified firm that is independent of the firm that performed the work and of the owner. The XRF inspector must also be independent of any contractor involved in lead remediation.",{"q":113,"a":114},"What if XRF testing found no lead-based paint in a unit?","Apply for a lead-free exemption through HPD's LEOP portal. Once the exemption is granted, the owner no longer has to send annual lead notices for that unit or conduct annual investigations.",{"q":116,"a":117},"Can the new tenant move in while the lead work is still in progress?","No. The turnover work must be completed before the new tenant takes occupancy, and the owner certifies it at lease signing. Scheduling the clearance test well before the move-in date leaves time to reclean and retest if a sample fails.","2026-10-25","rental",22,[122,126,129,132,135],{"title":123,"url":124,"publisher":125},"Lead-Based Paint","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Flead-based-paint.page","NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development",{"title":127,"url":128,"publisher":125},"Lead-Based Paint Abatement and Stabilization: Required Correction at Turnover and in Child-Under-6 Units","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Flead-based-paint-correction-child-under-6-unit.page",{"title":130,"url":131,"publisher":125},"\"Get Ahead of Lead\" January 2026 Briefing","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fassets\u002Fhpd\u002Fdownloads\u002Fpdfs\u002Fservices\u002Fjanuary-2026-lead-bulletin-for-property-owners.pdf",{"title":133,"url":134,"publisher":125},"XRF Testing Requirements: Apartments and Common Areas (FAQ)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fassets\u002Fhpd\u002Fdownloads\u002Fpdfs\u002Fservices\u002Flocal_law_31_xrf_testing_requirement_faq.pdf",{"title":136,"url":137,"publisher":138},"Notice of Adoption of Amendment to Article 173 of the New York City Health Code","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fassets\u002Fdoh\u002Fdownloads\u002Fpdf\u002Fnotice\u002F2026\u002Fnoa-art173-lead-dust-rules.pdf","NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene","nyc-lead-paint-apartment-turnover","en-US",[142,148,152,157],{"slug":143,"title":144,"description":145,"service":146,"date":147},"nyc-renovation-permits","NYC permits for renovation, electrical and plumbing work","Which renovation, electrical and plumbing jobs need a NYC Department of Buildings permit, who files it, and what changes on Long Island.","electrical","2026-10-24",{"slug":149,"title":150,"description":151,"service":146,"date":147},"electrical-panel-upgrade","Electrical panel and service upgrades for NYC and Long Island homes","When an older NYC or Long Island home needs a new panel or a bigger electrical service, what the work involves, and how long it takes.",{"slug":153,"title":154,"description":155,"service":156,"date":118},"ev-charging-without-service-upgrade","EV charging without an expensive service upgrade","Load sharing, CT-clamp load management, dryer-outlet sharing and right-sized chargers: ways to add EV charging in NYC and Long Island without upgrading your electrical service.","ev-charging",{"slug":158,"title":159,"description":160,"service":156,"date":147},"ev-charger-installation","Installing a home EV charger in NYC or Long Island","Level 1 vs Level 2 charging, panel capacity, permits, Tesla Powershare, and what to know for houses and buildings in NYC and Long Island.",1792924280307]