Certification for Rental Properties
The Maryland Department of the Environment requires all properties built before 1978, and used as rental properties, to be registered with the department prior to occupancy.
Maryland’s Lead Rental Certification & Accreditation (LRCA) program offers several avenues to obtain certification for your property, all of which we are licensed to issue after performing the required inspection.
If your property is in Baltimore County, or within the Baltimore City limits, there is an additional inspection process you must complete; click here to learn more about Baltimore Rental Inspections.
How to know which certification is right for your property
The first thing you must consider is the year your home was built. The older your home, the more likely it contains lead-based paint. For example, 87% of homes built before 1940 have some lead-based paint, while 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1978 have some lead-based paint.
Another factor to consider before deciding on which certification you will opt for is whether or not there were excessive renovations performed after 1978, which may have already removed existing lead-paint.
Certification Options
If you are confident that your property was built without lead-paint being used, or has had substantial renovations, you may want to consider going for a “Lead-Free” certificate; the two types are:
→ Lifetime Lead-Free: An inspection via an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device revealed no lead-paint on the exterior or interior of the property.
→ Lifetime Lead-Free: An inspection via an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device revealed no lead-paint on the exterior or interior of the property.
- This certificate allows the property to be used as a rental property without the need for certification renewal inspections.
- This certificate allows the property to be used as a rental property but requires a certification renewal inspection of the exterior every 2-years, to ensure the paint conditions are stable and not chipping, flaking, peeling, etc.
If the home was built during an era of higher lead–paint use, and you are not certain if the home had been extensively remodeled, typically you would opt for a Risk Reduction Certificate:
→ Full Risk-Reduction: An inspection via Dust Wipes, revealed through lab analysis that no areas of those contained lead dust above 0.7μg/cm2.
→ Full Risk-Reduction: An inspection via Dust Wipes, revealed through lab analysis that no areas of those contained lead dust above 0.7μg/cm2.
- This certificate allows the property to be used as a rental property but requires a certification renewal at each tenant turnover, regardless of duration.
Which certificate do I need?
How do you inspect and certify?
What if there is Lead?
Which certificate do I need?
Our team will guide you through a series of questions designed to help determine which certificate is likely your best option, however…
→ Ultimately, it’s up to you, the homeowner.
→ You need to weigh your knowledge of the home’s past renovations, the likelihood of Lead-Based Paint still being on the property, any long-term plans you may have for the property, as well as your overall budget.
→ Ultimately, it’s up to you, the homeowner.
→ You need to weigh your knowledge of the home’s past renovations, the likelihood of Lead-Based Paint still being on the property, any long-term plans you may have for the property, as well as your overall budget.
How do you inspect and certify?
→ We use a specialized tool called an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device; this is used for the Lead-Free certification process. Read more below.
→ We may also take individual paint chip samples to confirm readings on the XRF device, which are analyzed by an independent lab.
→ For the Full-Risk Reduction Certification, we use ASTM E 1792 wipes, to perform a Lead Dust Wipe inspection. Read more below.
→ We follow HUD Chapter 7 Guidelines, in accordance with Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 745.
→ We may also take individual paint chip samples to confirm readings on the XRF device, which are analyzed by an independent lab.
→ For the Full-Risk Reduction Certification, we use ASTM E 1792 wipes, to perform a Lead Dust Wipe inspection. Read more below.
→ We follow HUD Chapter 7 Guidelines, in accordance with Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 745.
What if there is Lead?
Take a breath… It may sound scary, but it is always manageable.
→ Each certificate has its own process for these situations.
→ In most cases, it’s as simple as removing/replacing the affected component.
→ If multiple areas of the home test positive, you can always switch your certificate type; this would involve starting over with the new inspection process designated for that certificate.
→ The state gives our inspectors 30-days to submit a certificate, so you can take some time to review your budget and make the best choice for your rental property!
→ Each certificate has its own process for these situations.
→ In most cases, it’s as simple as removing/replacing the affected component.
→ If multiple areas of the home test positive, you can always switch your certificate type; this would involve starting over with the new inspection process designated for that certificate.
→ The state gives our inspectors 30-days to submit a certificate, so you can take some time to review your budget and make the best choice for your rental property!
More on the XRF Device
We use an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device to identify lead-paint. This is the best way to find out if Lead Paint exists in your home, even if there are no visual signs of chipping, flaking, or peeling. This type of inspection will give you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions in the future.
This portable device is held against the surface we are testing and can scan through roughly 60 layers of paint—without the destructive need to cut a paint chip sample to send to a lab. The device will provide a result of Positive for Lead-Paint if it reads >0.7µg/cm² (micrograms per centimeter squared); the unit of measurement for determining how much lead is in paint), or Negative for anything less.
Your results will be compiled into a report, and any areas identified as containing lead will be specified by Room, Type and Material—for example, your report may say: POS, 0.9µg/cm², Bedroom: Wall A, Baseboard, Wood.
More on Paint Chip Samples
If the XRF reveals only a few spots positive for Lead-Based Paint, it is possible that something beneath the surface affected the device; things like the metal in nails and screws can cause the device to ping positive. In these situations, we will consult with you and would likely recommend taking a paint chip sample from the component that tested positive.
If the lab analysis concludes that the actual level of Lead-Based Paint in the sample was different from what our XRF device identified, we will use the lab’s results to determine the certificate eligibility. In other words, if the lab proves that the sample is below 0.7µg/cm² (micrograms per centimeter squared), then that result is now considered “Negative.” If all samples are confirmed negative, we can proceed with issuing a certificate.
Please note that if there are a sufficient number of positive readings on the XRF, we would likely not advise paint chip sampling, as it would be extremely costly and would likely not negate any of the results, though we still would consult with you before concluding the inspection.
More on Lead Dust Wipes
Dust wipe testing certainly has its place in the world of lead paint inspections; but it’s not going to be your best option when trying to figure out if lead paint exists in your home. As lead paint deteriorates it can begin to flake, chip, or peel—and constant friction from doors and windows rubbing can create an extremely fine dust. This dust is very heavy and doesn’t linger in the air long—so, why is it a concern then? Children that crawl on the floor could put their hands in the dust, and then do what all children do… put their hands in their mouth; it’s the ingestion of lead paint that is the most harmful.
Testing for lead dust requires that a 24” x 12” sampling area be wiped, and that wipe be analyzed for the presence of lead dust. This is great for certain rental certifications, and after renovations were performed to ensure there is no lead residue that wasn’t cleaned up. But, since the sampling areas are extremely targeted, this won’t be the best inspection to reveal if lead paint exists under newer coats of paint—for that we recommend a Lead Inspection via XRF Analysis.
