You can be proactive to keep your child safe from lead-based paint.

In any building built before January 1, 1960, if there is a child under the age of six residing in the apartment, tenants should:

• Wash floors, window sills, hands, toys, and pacifiers often
• Report any peeling paint to your landlord so that the surface can be repaired immediately anytime you see peeling paint throughout the year.
• If dust is being created during construction work, ensure your child is not in the work area and ensure that the workers are keeping that area separated from the rest of your apartment. Report dust created by this type of work that is not contained and/or is not cleaned daily to 311.
• It is also extremely important that you remind your doctor to test children for lead poisoning at ages one and two.
• Learn more about lead poisoning and types of lead exposure other than lead-based paint

By February 15th, return the Annual Notice that you receive from your landlord. This puts your landlord on notice that you have a child under six residing in your apartment, and that you require an annual inspection of painted surfaces in your apartment. 

If a child younger than six comes to live in the apartment or routinely spend more than 10 hours per week any other time during the year, you must also notify the landlord in writing.

• Annual Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards - Inquiry Regarding Child (Aviso Anual Para Medidas de Precaucion con los Peligros de Plomo en la Pintura-Encusta Respecto al Nino)

Property owners are required to provide:

• The Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards (Spanish | Español)) to new tenants as a form of inquiry if a child under the age of six will live or regularly spending 10 hours or more per week in the unit
• The Lead Paint Hazards in the Home (Spanish | Español) pamphlet.

Property owners must also certify on this notice that they have performed the required turnover work prior to occupancy of the unit by the new occupants. This notice is also required at lease renewal. Tenants may request a copy of the documentation to show the required work was completed.

As a result of the annual notice or anytime the tenant in an apartment where a child under six “resides” (defined as to routinely spends 10 or more hours a week) reports a peeling paint condition, a landlord is responsible to properly repair the condition using certified contractors and safe work practices. If the landlord does not fix peeling paint or if the work is not being done safely (creating dust that is not contained), the tenant should file a complaint online or call 311.

When a tenant files a complaint with HPD and a child under the age of six resides in the apartment in a building built prior to 1960, HPD will attempt to schedule an appointment for an inspector to conduct a lead-based paint inspection. A lead-based paint inspection requires the Inspector to test peeling paint using an x-ray fluorescence machine (XRF), which measures the lead content in the paint. This includes paint that is peeling or otherwise coming loose from the surface on ceilings, walls, doors, windows and other painted surfaces.

If lead-based paint is found on these peeling paint surfaces and the tenant states that they have not already had their child’s blood lead level tested or spoken with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) about having a blood test, the Inspector will strongly encourage the tenant to allow the Inspector to call the DOHMH at the conclusion of the inspection so the tenant can obtain more information about how to protect their child and/or obtain a referral for blood testing for their child. A health care provider or the DOHMH can recommend the next steps if it is determined that a child has an elevated blood lead level.

If the tenant does not indicate there is a child under the age of six residing in the apartment when the complaint is filed, but the Inspector confirms there is a child under the age of six residing in the apartment at the time of the inspection, the Inspector will conduct a visual lead-based paint survey without the XRF machine. If peeling paint is found, another Inspector may return to the apartment within the following two weeks to conduct a second inspection that includes the XRF machine to determine if the paint meets the definition of lead-based paint. If this follow-up inspection cannot be performed, the violation will be issued based on the previous visual survey as a presumed lead-based paint hazard.

HPD also sends tenants a letter with the results of the XRF testing performed during the inspection.

In New York City, Local Law 1 of 2004 presumes lead-based paint could exist in dwelling unit and common areas if: 

• The building was built before January 1, 1960;
• The building has tenant-occupied apartments; and
• A child under the age of six resides in the dwelling unit.
  • "Resides" means to routinely spend 10 or more hours per week in a dwelling unit, which includes both a child who lives in the apartment and a child who just visits for this period of time.

Since 2004, most of Local Law 1 has applied to residential buildings with three or more units. Starting in February 2021, all of Local Law 1 of 2004 also applies to tenant-occupied, one- and two-unit buildings.

For these apartments/buildings, the owner must:

• Perform proactive activities to confirm that paint is intact.
• Perform reactive activities to make sure peeling paint and deteriorated surfaces are properly remediated or abated.
  • The requirements for reactive work can depend on whether there is a child under the age of six residing in the unit, the amount of paint that could be disturbed, if work is performed in response to a violation from a city agency, or the type of work being performed.
• Use safe work practices for any construction activities that disturb painted surfaces in a assuming the paint is lead-based paint unless the paint has already been tested.

These requirements also exist for dwelling units and common areas built between January 1, 1960 and January 1, 1978 if the owner knows there is lead-based paint.

Owners must also retain the records of these activities for at least 10 years and, starting in May 2020, certify compliance with these activities as a part of the annual property registration. Penalties may be significant for failure to conduct these activities and maintain these records.

The requirements in Local Law 1 of 2004 do not apply in an apartment in a building where the title is held by a cooperative or condominium and the shareholder of record or their family occupies the apartment. The law does apply to cooperative or condominium units occupied by a tenant or subtenant.

If a condo or coop dwelling unit is occupied by the owner or the owner’s family, not a tenant, most of Local Law 1 of 2004, including the requirements for the Annual Notice and annual inspection, do not apply. However, if ​a dwelling unit is occupied by a tenant rather than the unit owner, the Annual Notice requirements of Local Law 1 apply, and, if a child under six is determined to reside in the dwelling unit, Local Law 1 requires an annual inspection be performed for common areas and the dwelling unit. Owners who are leasing out their unit should discuss these requirements with their cooperative or condo board and management company to determine the process for the Annual Notice, inspection, and any repair work that might be necessary. ​Any repair work must be performed by certified workers using safe work practices pursuant to Local Law 1 of 2004. Owners and management should document all communication​s and ​must retain all records of the inspection​s and any remediation performed for at least 10 years.

1. Send out the Annual Notice to determine if there is a child under six residing in a dwelling unit. Conduct investigations if the tenant does not respond.

• Between January 1 and January 16, owners of multiple dwelling built before 1960 (or between 1960 and 1978 if the owner has knowledge there is lead-based paint) are required to deliver an Annual Notice to each tenant and to collect the completed notice from the tenant by February 15.
  • The Annual Notice asks the tenant to disclose if a child under the age of six resides in the dwelling unit.
  • Under Local Law 64 of 2019, the definition of the term "resides" is to routinely spend 10 or more hours per week in a dwelling unit, which includes both a child who lives in the apartment and a child who just visits for this period of time.
  • There are two versions of the Annual Notice that owners can use: 
    • Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning and Window Falls Annual Notice (Proteja a su Nino del Envenenamiento por Plomo y de las Caidas por las Ventanas Notificación Anual) 
    • Annual Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards - Inquiry Regarding Child (Aviso Anual Para Medidas de Precaucion con los Peligros de Plomo en la Pintura-Encusta Respecto al Nino)
  • All of these dwelling units where a child is determined to reside as defined above are required to be inspected for lead-based paint hazards as described in 2. below.
• The notice must be provided to the tenant in at least English and Spanish and in duplicate (two copies of each) so the tenant can retain a copy and return a copy to the owner.
• Keep evidence that this notice was delivered and retain the completed notice received back from the tenant. This notice is important because it determines where the owner must do other required activities required under Local Law 1, such as the annual investigation and follow safe work practices.
• Make sure your tenants know where to return this notice. If the tenant does not return the completed notice by February 15, the owner must conduct follow-up inspections between February 16 and March 1 to attempt to determine if a child under six lives or routinely spends more than 10 hours in the dwelling unit. An owner must keep records of the attempts made to contact the tenant to perform the investigation.
• If the owner does not receive the completed notice from the tenant and cannot determine based on these follow-up investigations whether there is a child under six, the owner must also notify DOHMH in writing that no notice has been received back from the tenant (a copy of this notification should also be maintained by the owner). The owner’s notification to DOHMH should be mailed to:
  
  Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — Healthy Homes
  125 Worth Street, Sixth Floor, CN58
   New York, NY 10013
• HPD has created forms to assist an owner with documentation the notice was sent, received back, or any follow-up inspections done if the notice was not returned by the tenant: see the Sample Forms for Delivery of Annual Notice Compliance.

2. Do the annual investigation and fix deteriorated paint.

• Once the owner knows which units have a child under the age of six residing in a unit, the owner must perform a visual investigation to look for potential lead-based paint hazards. This investigation must be conducted at least annually or more often if the owner knows about a condition that may cause a lead hazard, or if the occupant makes a complaint about such a condition.
• You do not need to hire a professional to conduct your annual visual investigation. However, HPD highly recommends that whoever conducts this investigation take the online visual assessment training offered by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to help the person know what to look for. This investigation is a visual inspection looking for peeling paint, chewable surfaces (such as window sills), deteriorated subsurfaces, friction surfaces (painted doors or windows) and impact surfaces. It must include every surface in every room in the dwelling unit, including the interiors of closets and cabinets. The person conducting the investigation should keep records about what they saw and HPD has created sample forms to assist with this. See the Sample Forms for Annual Investigation Compliance
• After the visual inspection is completed, the owner is required to give a copy of the inspection results to the tenant.
• The owner must also do this visual inspection in any building common areas (such as a lobby, hallway, or stairwell) of the building where a child resides.
• Next, the owner must repair any deteriorated paint promptly. If there is peeling paint found on a surface where the owner has no documentation of the whether there is lead paint on the surface, the owner must presume that there is lead paint, and hire the appropriately certified contractor to complete the repairs safely and quickly or, (if you believe there is no lead in the paint because the wall is a new wall, for example) to test the peeling paint and keep documented evidence that the surface does not have lead. All documents regarding any work done by the appropriate contractors must be maintained. See below for more information about safe work practices.

When a dwelling unit changes tenants, owners are required under Local Law 1 to complete certain lead-based paint activities focused on making the unit safe for a new tenant and before the new tenant takes occupancy (regardless of whether the new tenant has a child at the time of initial occupancy). This is referred to as “turnover.”

Owners must:

• Remediate all lead-based paint hazards and any such underlying defects, when such underlying defects exist. At a minimum this would mean wet scrape and paint.
• Provide for the removal of lead-based paint on chewable surfaces with evidence of teeth marks or encapsulate the surface with a hard, puncture resistant encapsulant.
• Provide for the removal of all lead-based paint on friction surfaces on all doors and door frames.
• Provide for the removal of all lead-based paint on frictions surfaces on all windows or provide for the installation of replacement window channels or sliders on the friction surfaces.
• Make all bare floors, window sills, and window wells in the dwelling unit smooth and cleanable.

All the work must be done following the safe work practices described below. Owners must then certify compliance with the turnover requirements on the Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards (Contrato/Comeinze de Ocupacion y Medidas de Precaucion con los Peligros en la Pintura-Encuesta Respecto al Nino) provided to the new tenant with the lease (and at lease renewal) and provide documentation to the new tenant upon request along with a copy of the Lead Paint Hazards in the Home (Peligros de la Pintura con Plomo en el Hogar) pamphlet. HPD has created sample forms for an owner to document the turnover inspection was completed: see the Sample Forms for Turnover Vacancy Compliance

For more information about property owner responsibilities and requirements upon unit turnover, see our FAQ.

Effective August 9, 2020, Local Law 31 of 2020 states that an owner must use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified inspector or risk assessor, independent of the owner or any firm hired to perform lead-based paint remediation, to test for the presence of lead-based paint in a dwelling unit of a building built prior to 1960. The inspection must take place within 5 years of the effective date of the law (by August 9, 2025) or within one year if a child under the age of 6 comes to reside in the unit (whichever is sooner). This requirement must also be met if the rental building was built between 1960 and 1978 and the owner has actual knowledge of lead-based paint. As of January 1, 2020, the term “reside” now means that a child under six years of age lives in the dwelling unit in a pre-1960 building, OR a child under six years of age routinely spends 10 or more hours per week in such a dwelling unit.

Sample Affidavit by Certified Individual Who Performed Lead-Based Paint Testing

Local Law 1 of 2004 requires that owners follow and retain evidence that safe work practices were used for all repair work in a dwelling unit or building common area where a child under the age of 6 resides when more than 2 square feet of lead-based paint or paint of an unknown lead content is disturbed.

• The owner must use contractors certified in abatement by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the level of certification increases if the work being done is over 100 square feet, or requires the removal of two or more painted windows, is in response to a violation, or is specifically for abatement. See the EPA's Locate Certified Inspection, Risk, Assessment, and Abatement Firms webpage.
• For work that does not meet these elevated requirements, the owner must hire a contractor firm who is a certified do to renovation (known as Renovation, Repair and Painting or RRP) by the EPA. The EPA website has information about the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) program. After the work in completed, an EPA-certified Lead Inspector or Risk Assessor must take dust samples to confirm the area is free of lead-contaminated dust, below the levels provided in Local Law 1 and HPD’s rules. Owners must retain copies of the firm and worker certificates for the work and the dust samples, the results of the dust samples, and any invoices or documentation of the work done.
• The RRP certification requirement extends to plumbers, electricians, carpentry, etc., if there is any work being done where paint would be disturbed.
• You can find more details about safe work practices in the HPD Cover Letter and Guide to Local Law 1 of 2004 Work Practices and in a bulletin HPD issued in September 2019 (see below in Additional Resources). Work Practices Cover Letter in additional languages:
  • Arabic | العربية
  • Chinese (Simplified) | 简化字
  • Haitian-Creole | Kreyòl ayisyenYO
  • Korean | 한국어
  • Russian | Русский язык.
  • Spanish | Español
• Failure to follow safe work practice can result in violations being issued by the Department of Buildings (DOB) or DOHMH

HPD has created a form to help an owner know when the Local Law 1 requirement for documenting safe work practices applies: see the Sample Form for Safe Work Practices Compliance.

Beginning December 1, 2021, the legal standard to define lead-based paint changed to 0.5 mg/cm², and exemptions will only be granted for units tested by an XRF machine with an approved Performance Characteristic Sheet (PCS) issued at an action level of 0.5 mg/cm².

Existing exemptions will remain active for a unit until such time as the unit is vacated by a tenant (turnover). Note: A lease renewal is not the same thing as turnover, does not need to be reported to HPD, and does not affect the existing exemption.

Owners must notify the department when turnover occurs for an exempted unit using the Affidavit of Turnover in an Exempted Unit. The Affidavit of Turnover in an Exempted Unit is also available in the following languages:

• Arabic | العربية
• Bengali | বাংলা
• Chinese (Simplified) | 简化字
• French | français
• Haitian-Creole | Kreyòl ayisyen
• Korean | 한국어
• Polish | polski
• Russian | Русский язык
• Spanish | Español
• Urdu | اردو

Please return your completed Affidavit of Turnover in an Exempted Unit to:
NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
94 Old Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10027
ATTN: Lead Exemption Unit

As of the date of the turnover, the exemption is no longer valid. When an owner notifies HPD of the turnover or if HPD becomes aware of the turnover, HPD will issue a notice regarding the revocation of the exemption.

You may apply for a new exemption as soon as the unit is tested by an XRF machine with an approved PCS issued at the action level of 0.5 mg/cm², before or after the existing exemption is revoked because of turnover. HPD began accepting exemption applications at the new testing level on November 1, 2021. Note: You cannot use testing performed by an XRF machine testing at the 1.0 mg/cm² action level even if the results of testing are below 0.5 mg/cm² to apply for a new exemption.

For more information about the change in the definition of lead-based paint, see our FAQ.

Property owners can hire qualified companies to conduct testing to determine whether there is lead-based paint in their buildings and work proactively to reduce the liability associated with lead-based paint. Local Law 1 of 2004 provides for an exemption from certain provisions of the law based on submission of the required test and documentation.

• Application for Exemption
  Note: Previous versions of the Application for Exemption and affidavits from before the effective date of December 9, 2019 will no longer be accepted.
• Frequently Asked Questions for Property Owners Applying for an Exemption
• Affidavit by Lead Inspection Firm Former Employee
• Affidavit of Ownership for Condo/Coop Unit or Unregistered Private Dwelling

HPD proactively audits lead-related records to determine a property owner’s compliance with Local Law 1 of 2004. HPD also demands these records from owners who have been issued a Commissioner’s Order to Abate by DOHMH. This is done by issuing a Record Production Order.

The Record Production Order requires property owners to submit the following documentation for their property within 45 days of the request:

• Copies of records for the Annual Notice distribution and collection
• Copies of records for the completed annual investigations
• Copies of records for work performed to correct open and uncertified lead-based paint hazard violations including documentation of work practices used
• Copies of records for all non-violation work that disturbed lead-based paint or paint of unknown lead content in a dwelling unit where a child under six years of age resides or in the common area of the building, including documentation of the work practices used
• Copies of records for all work performed at turnover of any unit that was the subject of a new tenancy including documentation of work practices used and lead-contaminated dust clearance test results
• Copies of records for completing the testing requirement under Local Law 31 of 2020

The Record Production Order is also issued with a series of affidavits to be completed. A property owner who does not respond to the Record Production Order will be issued an immediately hazardous Class “C” violation and may be subject to additional violations. Property owners will be liable for a civil penalty of no less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000 for this violation. A property owner is also subject to civil penalties specifically for failure to conduct the annual notification and inspection and for failure to perform required activities upon turnover.

Required notices:

• Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning and Window Falls Annual Notice (Spanish | Español) 
• Annual Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards - Inquiry Regarding Child (Spanish | Español)
• Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards (Spanish | Español)
• Lead Paint Hazards in the Home (Spanish | Español) pamphlet

Sample Compliance Documents:

• Sample Forms for Delivery of Annual Notice Compliance
• Sample Forms for Annual Investigation Compliance
• Sample Forms for Turnover Vacancy Compliance
• Sample Form for Safe Work Practices Compliance
• Sample Affidavit by Certified Individual Who Performed Lead-Based Paint Testing
• Sample Affidavit by Dust Wipe Sampler

Record Production Order:

Record Production Order Template (includes Affidavits)
Owners can access below a translated template of the Record Production Order (including affidavits) to assist with understanding the Record Production Order they received in the mail from HPD:

• Arabic | العربية
• Bengali | বাংলা
• Chinese (Simplified) | 简化字
• French | Français
• Haitian-Creole | Kreyòl ayisyen
• Korean / 한국어
• Polish / polski
• Russian | Русский язык
• Spanish | Español
• Urdu | اردو

Violations: 

• AF-5 Affidavit of Compliance: Lead-Based Paint Violations (for work completed after August 1, 2004)
• AF-3 Affidavit of Compliance: Lead-Based Paint Violations (for work completed prior to August 1, 2004)
• Sample Affidavit by Dust Wipe Sampler (for violations, not to be used for the Exemption Application)
• Sample Sworn Statement for the EPA-licensed lead abatement firm (for violations, not to be used for the Exemption Application)

When a tenant files a complaint and a child under the age of six resides in the apartment in a building with three or more units and built prior to 1960, HPD will attempt to schedule an appointment for an inspector to conduct a lead-based paint inspection. A lead-based paint inspection involves testing paint using an x-ray fluorescence machine (XRF), which measures the lead content in the paint. The inspector will test any painted surface that has peeling paint.

If the tenant does not indicate there is a child under the age of six residing in the apartment in the complaint, but the inspector confirms there is a child under the age of six residing in the apartment at the time of inspection, the inspector will conduct a preliminary lead-based paint survey. If peeling paint is found, another inspector will conduct a second inspection to confirm the presence of lead-based paint.

Violations will be issued if a lead paint hazard is identified by an HPD inspector, or if a lead paint hazard is presumed to exist, in any building where a child under the age of six lives (Orders #616 and #617). The violation will constitute a class C immediately hazardous violation. If the property owner does not properly repair these conditions, using the appropriate licensed contractor, HPD will attempt to remediate the hazard through the Emergency Repair Program (ERP) and will bill the property owner for the work.

Correction and Certification

Property owners are required to correct and certify the correction of the violations to HPD within a specified timeframe (indicated on the Notice of Violation) and all work must be performed by an EPA-licensed firm that employs safe work practices. Review the HPD Cover Letter and Guide to Local Law 1 of 2004 (also included with the Notice of Violation) and see the Remediation and Safe Work Practices section of this webpage for more information on the remediation of lead-based paint hazards.

DOHMH prohibits certain companies from performing lead paint testing, lead dust sampling, lead paint and lead dust analysis or lead abatement work. Certifications for corrections of HPD violations will be rejected if one of these companies completes work or testing related to the violations.

Only an owner, management agent, office of the corporation that owns the property, or party otherwise responsible for the property listed on the property registration may certify the violation. Once the documents listed below are submitted and accepted as on time and valid by HPD, a reinspection will be performed before the violation will be cleared.

How to certify:

1. Complete the applicable Certification of Correction Form(s):
   • 616/617/624 Violation Certification and Instructions Form
   • 616/617/624 HQS Notice of Failure / Violation Certification and Instructions Form
   • 618/619/620 Violation Certification Instructions Form
   • 621/622/623/625 Violation Certification and Instructions Form
   • 626 Violation Certification and Instructions Form
2. Attach the following documents:
   • Sworn Statement made by the EPA firm's authorized agent or individual who performed the work to correct the violation(s) stating that the work was performed in accordance with the applicable laws
   • Copy of the EPA certification for the firm that performed the work to correct the violation(s)
   • Copy of the lead-contaminated dust clearance tests from a New York State Environmental Laboratory Approval Program certified laboratory
   • Certificate of Training from the individual who took the surface dust sample
   • Affidavit from the individual who took the surface dust sample, verifying the date the sample was taken and indicating the address of the apartment where the sample was taken
3. Submit the Certification of Correction Form and all attached documents to: HPD Lead-Based Paint Inspection Program 94 Old Broadway 7th Floor New York, NY 10027

Contestations

Contestations will be considered for presumed lead-based paint violations (Order #616). The owner can contest the violation using the Contestation Form only if the building was built in or after 1960 or the paint has been tested and does not contain lead. In this case, documentation regarding the testing must be provided as indicated on the form.

Postponements

An owner can request up to two postponements of the date of correction if they are having a serious technical difficulty; inability to obtain necessary materials, funds, or labor; or inability to gain access to make the required repair. Review the 1st Request Postponement Form and 2nd Request Postponement Form carefully before submitting the request for postponement. These forms are also included with your Notice of Violation.

Overdue Violations

Lead-based paint violations have been issued under several different lead laws over the past 30 years. The laws required different methods of correction and different documentation to support the correction. If the deadline to correct and certify such a violation has passed, the owner cannot certify correction. The next steps that the owner must take will depend on whether an inspection has already been conducted by HPD. For more instructions on how to proceed for your particular building, go to HPDONLINE. Enter your building address and select Overdue Lead-Based Paint Violations from the left-hand column. You will be presented with the list of violations that are open and next steps, including information on which of the below affidavits is required to be submitted.

• AF-5 Affidavit of Compliance: Lead-Based Paint Violations (for work completed after August 1, 2004)
• AF-3 Affidavit of Compliance: Lead-Based Paint Violations (for work completed prior to August 1, 2004)

Learn how to look up the status of lead-based paint violations and improve your understanding of HPD’s requirements in this thirty-minute video, which provides a step-by-step walkthrough for using HPD’s website to research your building’s violations.

Watch the video.

Turnover Violations

During a lead-based paint inspection where a child under 6 resides, HPD will also issue violations for a property owner’s failure to conduct turnover work if there are lead-based paint hazard violations issued for door and window friction surfaces. These violations require owners to comply with Turnover requirements, which would have required abatement of these surfaces, and certify correction. During the inspection procedure, HPD would have received information from the occupant that they moved in after August 2, 2004, the effective date of Local Law 1.

There are three types of violations:

• Order #621 is issued if HPD has not tested the deteriorated window or door friction surface but has presumed that the peeling paint is lead-based paint.
• Order #622 is issued after HPD has tested a deteriorated window or door friction surface and it is positive.
• Order #625 is issued if HPD has test a deteriorated window or door friction surface and it is inconclusive.

HPD also can also issue a violation for failure to complete turnover work when conducting a field audit inspection related to a COTA or HPD Lead Index Audit:

• Order #623 is issued when the occupant stated that they moved into the unit within the last ten years and the property owner failed to provide the turnovers documents to HPD as requested in our Record Production Order.

Please read the instructions carefully that are included with the Notice of Violation about what needs to be done to correct these violations. Generally, the owner must provide evidence that all window and door friction surfaces are free of lead-based paint.

Audit Violations

Violations are also issued if a property owner fails to provide records requested by HPD (audit). These violations may be order #s 614, 618, 619, 620, or 623. If an owner receives one of these violations, the owner will only be able to comply by providing the required documents. See the tabs for Owner Responsibilities, Annual Requirements, Requirements Upon Turnover of an Apartment, 5 Year Testing Requirement, Safe Work Practices, Record Keeping and Compliance Forms (Samples) and the sample Record Production Order on this page for more information about the documents that owners are required to maintain for 10 years.

For further questions, call the Lead Hotline at 212-863-5501.

Get Ahead of Lead Briefings:

This December 2022 Lead Briefing to Property Ownersprovides information about the unit testing requirement, important dates for Local Law 1 annual notice and inspection requirements, and FAQs about lead-safe work practices.

This October 2022 Lead Briefing to Property Ownersprovides information about webinars and in-person events for National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

This June 2022 Lead Briefing to Property Owners provides information about lead-safe work practices.

It is also available in additional languages:

• Arabic / العربية
• Bengali / বাংলা
• Chinese (Simplified) / 简化字
• French / français
• Haitian-Creole / Kreyòl ayisyen
• Korean / 한국어
• Polish / polski
• Russian / Русский язык
• Spanish / Español
• Urdu / اردو

Lead FAQ

• Arabic | العربية
• Bengali | বাংলা
• Chinese (Simplified) | 简化字
• French | français
• Haitian-Creole | Kreyòl ayisyen
• Korean | 한국어
• Polish | polski
• Russian | Русский язык
• Spanish | Español
• Urdu | اردو

HPD will regularly publish informational briefings to highlight one aspect of Local Law 1 of 2004 (New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act) and share other resources to support property owners.

• This October 2021 "Get Ahead of Lead" Briefing provides information about Heat the change in the definition of lead-based paint.
  • Arabic | العربية
  • Bengali | বাংলা
  • Chinese (Simplified) | 简化字
  • French | français
  • Haitian-Creole | Kreyòl ayisyen
  • Korean | 한국어
  • Polish | polski
  • Russian | Русский язык
  • Spanish | Español
  • Urdu | اردو
• July 2021 "Get Ahead of Lead" Briefing provides information about owner's responsibility at apartment turnover, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) training classes, lower lead-contaminated dust levels as of June 1, 2021, updated ABC's of Housing, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • julio 2021
  • 2021 年 7 月
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  • jiyè 2021
  • июль 2021 г.
  • يوليو 2021
  • জুলাই 2021
  • juillet 2021
  • lipiec 2021
  • جولائی 2021
• March 2021 Briefing - provides information about owner's responsibility at apartment turnover, lower lead-contaminated dust levels beginning June 1, 2021, and additional help for owners
  • Marzo 2021
  • مارس 2021
  • Mas 2021
  • 2021年3月
  • 2021 년 3 월
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• January 2021 Briefing - provides information about upcoming webinars and the new lead-based paint law that applies to rental units in 1-2 family homes starting February 11, 2021
  • enero de 2021
  • يناير 2021
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  • 2021 년 1 월
  • январь 2021
• January 2021 Briefing - provides information about the annual notice and investigation and auditing owners' records.
  • enero de 2021
  • يناير 2021
  • janvye 2021
  • 2021年1月
  • 2021 년 1 월
  • январь 2021
• November 2020 Briefing - provides information about Local Law 1 of 2004 compliance, exemptions, and loan programs and financing
  • noviembre de 2020
  • نوفمبر 2020
  • novanm 2020
  • 2020年11月
  • 2020 년 11 월
  • ноябрь 2020
• July 2020 Briefing - Property Registration update; HPD inspections and violations (COVID-19); updated Exemptions FAQs; financial assistance to fix lead paint hazards
  • julio de 2020
  • 2020 年 7 月
  • 2020년 7월
  • Jiyè 2020
  • июль 2020 г.
  • "يوليو 2020"
• March 2020 Briefing - turnover work; annual notices and investigations follow up
  • Additional languages will be posted soon.
• January 2020 Briefing - new definition of "resides"; annual notices and investigations follow up
  • Informe mensual "Anticípese al plomo"
  • "先铅一步 (Get Ahead of Lead)"月度简报
  • "납 처리하기" 월간 브리핑
  • Seyans Enfòmasyon Chak mwa "Pran Devan Plon"
  • Ежемесячный инструктаж по заблаговременному устранению возможных проблем, связанных со свинцом
  • "الإحاطة الشهرية بعنوان تفوَّق على الرصاص"
• December 2019 Briefing - compliance requirements; new sample forms for recordkeeping
  • Informe mensual “Anticípese al plomo”
  • “先铅一步 (Get Ahead of Lead)”月度简报
  • “납 처리하기” 월간 브리핑
  • Seyans Enfòmasyon Chak mwa “Pran Devan Plon”
  • Ежемесячный инструктаж по заблаговременному устранению возможных проблем, связанных со свинцом
  • "الإحاطة الشهرية بعنوان تفوَّق على الرصاص"

Get Ahead of Lead Webinar

Join HPD for live and pre-recorded webinars covering various topics on lead-based paint. 

• Lead-Based Paint Basics: An Overview of New York City's Requirements for Building Owners
• Private Dwellings: Understanding New Lead-Based Paint Requirements
• Lead-Based Paint Annual Notice and Recordkeeping: An Owner's Guide to Compliance in NYC
• Owner's Responsibilities at Apartment Turnover
• Safe Work Practices in NYC: Knowing When and How to Use Certified Contractors when Working with Lead-Based Paint
• An Owner's Guide to the Lead-based Paint Exemption Requirements and Application Process
• HPD Lead-Based Paint Violations: Understanding the Basics of Lead Violations and How to Clear Them
• HPD Lead-Based Paint Violations: Understanding Work and Documentation Dates

Information Regarding the Implementation of Local Law 66 of 2019: Amendment to the Definition of Lead-based Paint under Article 14 of the Housing Maintenance Code

On December 1, 2021, in compliance with Local Law 66 of 2019 and the rules adopted by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the definition of lead-based paint will change from paint that has a lead content measured at 1.0 mg/cm2 or greater as determined by laboratory analysis or by an instrument called an X-ray Florescence analyzer (XRF) with an approved performance characteristic sheet (PCS) at a testing action level of 1.0 mg/cm2 to be defined as paint that has a lead content measured at 0.5 mg/cm2 or greater as determined by laboratory analysis or an XRF instrument with an approved PCS and programmed at a testing action level of 0.5 mg/cm2. Owners can refer to the final rule and companion Frequently Asked Questions document for more information.

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• Local Law 1 of 2004, as amended: Article 14 of Title 27 of the New York City Administrative Code
• Chapter 11 of Title 28 of the Rules (and Amendments) of the City of New York

American Legal Publishing provides free access to view and search more than 2000 municipal codes nationwide. Please browse the American Legal Publishing’s Code Library to access Local Law 1 of 2004, and its amendments, as incorporated into the New York City Administrative Code. Local Law 1 of 2004 is New York City’s comprehensive law concerning the prevention of childhood lead poisoning through the remediation of lead paint hazards in housing, which became effective on August 2, 2004. Also included are the rules and amendments of the NYC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 2003; proposed and adopted by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Please consult your legal advisor for legal interpretations of Local Law 1 of 2004 and other code material.

Required notices:

• Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning and Window Falls Annual Notice (Proteja a su Nino del Envenenamiento por Plomo y de las Caidas por las Ventanas Notificación Anual) 
• Annual Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards - Inquiry Regarding Child (Aviso Anual Para Medidas de Precaucion con los Peligros de Plomo en la Pintura-Encusta Respecto al Nino)
• Lease/Commencement of Occupancy Notice for Prevention of Lead-Based Paint Hazards (Contrato/Comeinze de Ocupacion y Medidas de Precaucion con los Peligros en la Pintura-Encuesta Respecto al Nino)
• Lead Paint Hazards in the Home (Peligros de la Pintura con Plomo en el Hogar) pamphlet

Sample Compliance Documents:

• Sample Forms for Delivery of Annual Notice Compliance
• Sample Forms for Annual Investigation Compliance
• Sample Forms for Turnover Vacancy Compliance
• Sample Form for Safe Work Practices Compliance

Grants and Loans

• Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes - provides grants on average of $10,000 to building owners to fix lead paint hazards

More Information

• Lead Poisoning Information from DOHMH
• Lead Paint Hazards in the Home
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• Lead Free NYC: A Roadmap to Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure
• HUD Visual Assessment Training
• Get Ahead of Lead flyer
  • Arabic | العَرَبِيَّة
  • Bengali | বাংলা
  • Chinese | 汉语
  • French | Français
  • Haitian Creole | kreyòl ayisyen
  • Korean | 한국어
  • Polish | język polski
  • Russian | ру́сский язы́к
  • Spanish | Español
  • Urdu | اُردُو