Hoping you can help me better understand a situation encountered during my closing. I am closing on a 1916 home in Washington state. Due to the age of the home and the fact that the seller has professed ignorance, I have ask my buyers agent to include a lead based paint test in the PnS agreement. I am now 1 week into the purchase and trying to schedule the testing but getting push back from both the sales agent and my agent. I am getting the impression that there is some information that my agent is trying to get through my thick skull but it just isn't registering.
My plans for the property is to fix it up and rent it out. If there is any lead I want to ask for a concession in the sales price to offset the cost of dealing with the proper removal of any lead.
Q: Is there any reason that I should not performing the testing?
Rental Property Investor · Everett, WA · Member since 2015 · 457 posts · 386 votes
8y
Given the age of the property, I can almost guarantee that there is lead paint in the house. That said, so long as there is not paint chipping off the walls or broken / exposed Sheetrock, there shouldn’t be any issue.
You are required to provide your tenants with documentation regarding warnings for mold and lead paint when they move into the unit. Again, this is not a big deal and can be downloaded from various landlord association websites.
Bottom line, make sure the walls are all properly sealed. Fix/repair any issues timely and provide the required information to any potential tenants.
Real Estate Agent · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Once lead is a known factor, it must be disclosed, no checking the box stating you have no knowledge of lead, so the seller and listing agent likely do not want the test performed. I have only purchased one property pre-1978, and I had the XRF test done as part of my inspection process. It MD, unless the property tests lead-free, you have to register, test between tenants, all kinds of issues, so unless it tested lead-free, I was not touching it. It was a 1974 property so likely to test lead-free, anyway, and it did, but I initially received push-back from the agents as well.
Thanks to both of you. I appreciate you help. My hope we to renovate the property so I feel that I have to do the test at some point and if I can use it to get a concession I will.