Month: March 2019

Renting an Apartment That May Have Immediate

Renting an Apartment That May Have Immediate

Renting an apartment includes certain advantages, like not having to pay real estate taxes and departing maintenance issues to your neighbors. Drawbacks include possibly discovering hazards like lead paint covering various surfaces. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978, but older residences may include lead paint if it was applied before this year. Landlords have a duty to their renters to tackle the existence of lead paint in rental units.

Lead Paint Disclosure

If your rental house was constructed before 1978, there is a risk that lead-based paint was used in it. Since 1996, property sellers and landlords have been required to disclose all known information about lead paint in their properties. Typically, landlords of rental residences built before 1978 must provide prospective tenants EPA-approved tokens on addressing lead-based paint issues. Should you suspect or find the existence of lead paint on your apartment, notify your neighbor as soon as possible.

Paint Testing Requirements

California does not require landlords to analyze for the existence of lead paint in their rental units. Landlords also are not obligated to remove lead paint in a property once it is found. But landlords must make available to current and future tenants any test results on lead-based paint they’ve obtained due to their properties. Lastly, if your rental agreement stated your apartment was lead-paint-free and it isn’t, it is possible to take legal actions to remedy any damages.

Lead Paint Presence

Intact lead-based paint isn’t hazardous unless it is ingested as paint chips or breathed in as dust. Lead paint is the most dangerous to children because they tend to put things in their mouths. Also, children can more easily absorb direct into their bloodstream, which is harmful to their developing systems. Should you suspect your flat might have lead paint, ask your neighbor to test for its existence and to take any necessary steps to deal with problem.

Taking Corrective Measures

Tenants can employ professionals to analyze paint they suspect to be lead-based and then notify the landlord of the results. If your landlord will not remove or encapsulate any lead paint which was found, discuss your legal options with local renters’ rights groups, as well your town’s building code enforcement officer. California enables tenants to withhold rent when serious repair or habitability issues are not adjusted with their landlords. Document the issues so that you have proof if you decide to move out and break your rental.

Lead Paint Precautions

Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning include hearing issues, headaches, muscle pain and difficulty remembering things. If you suspect there is lead-based paint on your flat, have the blood of everybody living in the flat checked for lead poisoning. Apartments with lead-based paint should be vacuumed using a HEPA vacuum, and all surfaces must be washed using warm water and an all-purpose cleaning solution. Lead-based paint that is still intact could be encapsulated. If the paint currently has begun to peel and chip, certified lead-abatement professionals must be called to remove all traces of the paint.

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