Reminder, July 22 is Deadline for Landlord Visual Inspections for West Orange Lead Paint

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The township has hired LEW Environmental Services to ensure that rental owners are in compliance with the new state law requiring paint inspections to detect lead. Anyone who needs to have an inspection for lead in the paint will or has received a postcard.

Visual inspections must be conducted by July 22, 2021, per the NJ Lead Safe Certification Act signed by Governor Phil Murphy on July 22, 2021. The law’s purpose is to prevent childhood lead poisoning caused by deteriorated paint and paint chipping in rental units built before 1978. Visual inspections must be done by July 22, 2024, or property owners must have scheduled their inspection by then.

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Individual homeowners can click HERE to be removed from the township’s rental records if they receive a postcard. Please include your full name and property address, including zip code. If you would like to speak with someone from LEW's office, please contact LEW and a member of its staff will respond to your inquiry.

Property owners who have multiple unit buildings and have been registered with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for over 10 years should speak with a member of LEW Environmental’s staff prior to scheduling their inspection to see if their units qualify for an exemption.

If the visual inspection indicates that there’s no lead in the paint, a lead safe certificate will be issued. It’s good for two years and needs to be inspected again in three years. If another tenant moves in, a new lead inspection must be done in two years. Click HERE to schedule an inspection.

According to LEW Environmental, “All of our inspectors are NJDCA certified and committed to cost-effective solutions for property owners. Our inspectors will come to your property and visually assess for signs of paint chipping and deterioration. But if no deteriorated conditions are found, then a Lead Safe certificate will be issued. However, if deteriorated paint conditions are found, and the house is built before 1978, then the presumption is that a lead hazard exists. Remediation may then be required.

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HUD guidelines say that a crack in the paint that's bigger than a hairline or larger than a nail hole is considered deteriorated paint and will not receive a lead safe certificate. See photos above for samples of paint damage that may or not be lead-related.

LEW has prepared a free Guide to Visual Inspections.

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