EPA Lead Disclosure Inspections Begin May 14

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is conducting random inspections of the records of management companies to monitor compliance with the Residential Lead-Based Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, which requires disclosure of specific information before the sale or lease of housing built before 1978. Approximately 200 management companies in Brooklyn were notified that the EPA will be performing the announced inspections beginning on May 14, 2008.

The inspectors will arrive at the property and request specific information for 10% of the units, including the front and signature pages of the lease and a copy of the federal disclosure notice. Owners and agents may erase or cover all personal information, including social security numbers, from the documents. The inspectors will be comparing the signatures on the leases and the notices. Owners who have received a notice of a potential inspection may contact the EPA and arrange to provide copies of the records before an actual inspection has occurred.

For more information contact EPA’s Lead Team at (732)-321-6671 or EPA’s Laura Livingston at livingston.laura@epa.com.