The first thing you need to know is that an inspection is required. When you have a rental property that was built before 1978, you must hire a lead inspector to come and look at the property. This has to happen prior to renting it out. There may be some work that needs to be done and preventative measures you need to take before a tenant moves in. The inspector will inform you of the work that needs to be done and then you’ll have to take care of that right away. Once the work is complete, the inspector will return to check it and then issue a lead inspection certificate that allows you to rent your property.
In some cases, it’s better financially to make your property completely free of lead paint. The inspector can walk you through the process of doing that. Otherwise, you will need to get a new lead paint inspection every time a new tenant prepares to move in. That could potentially include more work during tenant turnovers. This is not optional in Maryland. If your rental property was built before 1978, it must be inspected and you must get a lead paint inspection certificate before you can rent it out. Please contact us at The Maryland and Delaware Group of Long & Foster if you have any questions or you need help getting your property into compliance.
