Every southern Maryland home owner renting out a property should have a good understanding of the Maryland Department of Environment’s lead paint law. It applies to any property built before 1978, and every rental home must comply. All homes on the rental market built before that year must be registered with the Maryland Department of the Environment. You are required to obtain one of the following certificates: the Full Risk Reduction or the Maryland Lead Free certificate. Go to the Maryland Department of Environment’s website and hire a licensed inspector to check your property. First, you’ll need to decide which test you want.

Full Risk Reduction Test

With the Full Risk Reduction, you are still allowed to have some traceable lead in the property. Southern Maryland owners usually get this done when they have homes that were constructed before 1950, and originally built with all lead paint. It’s difficult to completely eliminate all the lead from those homes. This test can cost between $300 and $600, depending on the number of dust wipes the inspector has to do. The main problem with this inspection is that it has to be done every time a tenant moves in and out of the property.

Maryland Lead Free Test

The Maryland Lead Free test is more common. In this situation, your inspector comes into the house with an XRF gun to determine if the house has any lead in it at all. If it is 100 percent lead free, you get your certificate and the test never has to be done again.

Common Questions for Your Southern Maryland Property Manager

Owners often ask two important questions. First, they want to know if they have to get the testing done if the property was inspected when the home was first purchased and the owner was moving in. You still need to get another test because that one is not valid. When it becomes a rental property, the inspection must be redone. Owners also want to know how to prepare their house for the inspection. The most important thing you can do is walk through the property and make sure you don’t see any chipping or peeling paint. If your inspector notes any chipping or peeling paint on the inside or outside of the house, you will automatically fail before the test is even conducted.

If you have any questions about the Maryland lead paint law and how it pertains to your southern Maryland rental property or about Southern Maryland property management in general, please contact us at Real Property Management Gold.

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