A child in my rental tested positive for lead paint in PA

[Victor Lee]

Almost all of the properties in the area are 100 years and older and are known to have lead paint. We gave the tenant all the disclosures at the lease signing.

After the child was diagnosed with lead paint, the tenant got an inspection done, and lead paint was found on the property. There are no chips anywhere.

Now that we know there is lead paint, what am I obligated to do as a landlord?

I am also talking with a lawyer but wanted to collect any data points from anyone with experience in this situation, especially in PA.

Thanks so much in advance.

[Kevin Sobilo]

@Victor Lee, did you receive a copy of the inspection report. I have not personally dealt with this issue, but my understanding was that a report should identify areas that need to be remediated and what kind of work is recommended.

For example, maybe they find peeling paint on the ceiling of a bathroom. They might recommend installing a drop ceiling or dry-walling over the existing ceiling to seal it in because bathroom paint is prone to peel because of the moisture present.

If lead paint is on the surface layer, they might recommend painting over it as any contact with a top layer of lead based paint could create dust that is being ingested. This is one of the reasons that I typically paint every surface of properties I renovate. Then I know 100% that any lead based paint is encapsulated under at least once fresh coat of new paint.

Please let us know what your lawyer advises for you. This is an important topic and doesn't get discussed often enough.