Lead: Disclosure Requirements & Possible Fair Housing Repercussions

Learn about Federal mandated disclosure requirements for residential properties

Coming next month, the federal government is reversing itself on two points. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is editing official guidance for property management companies and other housing providers issued in 2018. In a Jan. 2022 media release HUD affirms that housing providers are responsible and will be held accountable for lead-safe renovation/repair/painting disclosures and work-safe practices even when the work is outsourced to lead-certified firms.

Did you know that any residential property built prior to 1978 may contain paint laced with lead? Do you know why? Were you aware that lead ingested into the body is highly toxic? and that this is especially true for young children?

Are you familiar with the federal requirements related to lead-based paint in housing and your responsibilities for each? Do you know there are a couple of fair housing-related hazards?

As the owner, portfolio manager, leasing agent, or maintenance manager of a pre-78 property, YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• You have multiple, proactive federal disclosure requirements
• Federal law also mandates specific documentation be made and stored for review upon request
• These requirements must be met prior to contract, as well as before many repair or renovation projects begin.
• HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) police these requirements and enact stiff fines for those in violation
• In addition, lawsuits can result in extremely expensive remediation (removal) of lead-painted surfaces
• Housing providers who have aimed to limit their lead liability exposure by denying housing to those with disabilities and families with children run afoul of the federal Fair Housing Act, another costly legal pitfall

This webinar by Industry expert Jo Becker will help you avoid the costly mistakes of others by informing you of your requirements and directing you to specifically required literature and documentation.

Webinar Objectives

Despite being federal law for well over two decades, some housing providers are not aware of federal disclosure requirements for residential properties built prior to 1978. In addition, new requirements were in 2008 stipulating housing providers also disclosure prior to many repair and renovation projects in pre-78 housing. Housing providers who have tried to limit liability have found themselves in fair housing hot water.

Noncompliance with the lead-based paint requirements can be very costly – and so can fair housing cases. Learn what you need to know; sign up today!

In addition to presentation hand-outs, attendees will be provided with:

• Official HUD / EPA literature and disclosure forms 
• HUD / EPA recommendations on living ‘lead-safe’

Webinar Agenda

• Why Lead is Such a Concern in Housing
• Brief History of Lead Regulation 
• The Lead-Fair Housing Nexus
• Living ‘Lead-Safe’

Webinar Highlights

• Federally mandated requirements of housing providers as it relates to lead-based paint in housing
• When and under what circumstances disclosures must be made
• How long documentation must be maintained
• Where to find HUD- / EPA-approved disclosure forms and educational literature
• The potential risk of related fair housing violations

Who Should Attend

• Leasing and on-site managers
• Portfolio managers
• Compliance officers
• Resident services coordinators (in affordable housing communities)
• Community concierges (in high-end housing communities)
• Independent landlords or small, “Mom and Pop” operators
• Service technicians, lead technicians, maintenance supervisors
• Homeowners association and community managers
• Residential sales agents