Updated lead laws in Baltimore Maryland

[Nicole A.]

I just wanted to post this as a FYI to those of you with properties in the Baltimore Maryland area. 

Starting 01 January 2015, ALL rental properties will be required to be registered with MDE as either "Lead Safe" or Lead Free". Apparently, this was not required before, but a very good way to help protect yourself from lead-related lawsuits.

Also, those properties that are "lead safe" will be subject to retesting in between each tenant change! That's a lot (and I don't know if that was required before).

This is why you really want your property to be "lead free"! When it's "lead free", you are exempt from these periodic inspections and also exempt from the yearly renewals!

Here's a PDF link on the information:
http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Land/Documents...

[Nicole A.]

Having the possibility for lead in a property isn't as scary as it sounds. My buildings are all built around 1944. The last property I purchased I needed to make lead free because it wasn't certified anything. Turns out, the only lead in the whole place was in 3 window frames. I had planned to change these windows out anyway because they were so junky.

Then, don't forget that you can encase things such as walls and get lead free status. If the place is in bad shape anyway, you'd have to do some work. If the place is already in decent shape, then it probably has little to no lead left.

It's not that scary! :-)