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Lead Poisoning: Information for Building Owners

Dust from lead paint is the most common cause of childhood lead poisoning. New York City banned lead paint for residential use in 1960. Older buildings may still have lead paint on walls, windows, doors and other surfaces. New York City's Local Law 1 of 2004 requires landlords to address lead paint hazards by investigating their property for any conditions that may cause peeling paint and safely making repairs.

NYC’s Primary Prevention of Lead Poisoning in Housing Law (Local Law 1 of 2004)

Local law 1 applies to New York City apartments in buildings built before 1960 (or between 1960 and 1978, if the owners knows that the building has lead paint) with three or more apartments and a child under the age of 6 lives in the apartment. If a building you own is covered by Local Law 1, you must:

  • Find out if any children younger than age 6 live in the building and inspect those apartments for lead paint hazards every year.
  • Use lead safe work practices and trained workers when fixing lead paint hazards and when doing general repair work that disturbs lead paint.
  • Hire firms certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when disturbing more than 100 square feet of lead paint, replacing windows or fixing violations issued by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
  • Repair lead paint hazards before a new tenant moves into an apartment.
  • Keep records of all notices, inspections, repairs of lead paint hazards and other matters related to the law.
  • Give a copy of the clearance dust wipe results to the tenant after the post-work clean-up is completed
  • Include a notice about owner responsibilities under the law with each lease and provide the Health Department pamphlet informing occupants about lead.

Fax reports for the commencement of work and submitting lead dust samples to 347-396-8926.

New Lead in Dust Standards

Effective June 12, 2019, the new lead in dust standards are:

  • Floors: 10 mcg/ft2
  • Window Sills: 50 mcg/ft2
  • Window Wells: 100 mcg/ft2

For more information about the new standards, review the new requirement guidance (PDF) or email safework@health.nyc.gov with the subject "New lead in dust standards".


Lead-Safe Work Methods

Building owners must use safe work practices and trained workers to fix lead paint hazards and when doing general repair work that disturbs lead paint. Safe work practices include:

  • Never dry scrape or dry sand lead paint.
  • Post warning signs around the work area.
  • Tell tenants to stay out of the work area.
  • Clean the work area with wet mops and HEPA vacuums every day and after the work is done.
  • Remove all items that can be moved from the work area.
  • Cover furniture that cannot be moved.
  • Seal floors, doors and other openings with plastic and waterproof tape.
  • Hire a professional to check lead dust levels after the clean-up is completed.

While repair work is ongoing, building owners must make sure trained workers clean the work area every day with wet mops and HEPA vacuums. For more information on lead safe work methods, call 311.

Entities Prohibited from Submitting Documents Relating to Lead Abatement or Lead Remediation Work

Entities listed below have been ordered to cease and desist from submitting any documents related to any lead abatement or lead remediation work in NYC. Entities will be removed from this list when the cease and desist order relating to that entity is lifted.

  • Noela Roberta Deane: 635 Willow Ridge Drrive NE Apartment 2L, Marietta, GA 30068-5204 and 446 Linden Boulevard, Apartment 2, Brooklyn, NY 11203; New York Construction and Environmental Corp c/o Noela Deane, Registered Agent: 1141 FDR Drive 1E, New York, NY 10009 and 425 East 26th Street Suit 2L, Brooklyn, NY 11226; and New York Lead Removal Inc: 5 Brewster St Unit 2 #113, Glen Cove, NY 11542

  • Saverio Todaro, President, SAF Environmental Corp.: 91-43 120 St., Richmond Hill, NY 11418

  • Mohammed M. Hussain, President, Three Star Construction Co., Inc.: 162 Dahill Rd., Brooklyn, NY 11218

Federal Regulations

The Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule took effect in 2010. For more information about the rule, call 732-321-6671. You must also still comply with all NYC local requirements, including Local Law 1 of 2004 and all pertinent Health Code requirements.

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