The unit failed. Here is what happens next.

August 27, 2026

A failed visual inspection means the inspector found deteriorated paint on specific, listed surfaces. It is not a condemnation and not a fine. You fix the listed hazards, pass a re-inspection, and the certificate is issued. Most residential fixes are targeted paint work, not gut remediation.

Paint worn through to bare wood on a door edge beside the strike plate — A typical write-up item: a friction surface worn through to bare wood.

Your two repair paths

Interim controls

Stabilize the paint: wet-scrape, prime, repaint; clean up dust. Faster and much cheaper. The fix most units need. Has to be maintained; peeling that returns is a new hazard.

Abatement

Permanent removal: component replacement (new windows, doors, trim), enclosure, or paint removal by a licensed abatement contractor. Costs more, ends the problem on those surfaces for good.

Remediation prices vary too widely to quote responsibly: a few touched-up door jambs and a full window replacement are different projects. Ranges depend on scope; get numbers against the actual inspection report, not in the abstract.

Re-inspection and clearance

1. Fix the listed surfaces. The report names each failing surface. Fix exactly those, properly: stabilized, primed, repainted, dust cleaned up.

2. Re-inspection. The inspector re-checks the listed items. After remediation work, dust-wipe clearance testing confirms the cleanup before the certificate issues (N.J.A.C. 5:28A-2.4). If you fixed the hazard with interim controls rather than abatement, that dust-wipe inspection has to happen within 60 days of the original inspection (N.J.A.C. 5:28A-2.5).

3. Certificate issued. Pass, and the lead-safe certificate is filed as usual, valid two years.

Who pays for what

The owner pays for repairs and the re-inspection. Two forms of help exist: New Jersey’s Lead Remediation and Abatement Program (LRAP) offers assistance for qualifying owners, and landlords do qualify: the state program is open to tenants and landlords as long as the occupant's household income is at or below 80% of the area median, the building predates 1978, it has a lead hazard, and it is structurally sound. Vacant units count too. Details and applications live at leadabatement.nj.gov, and some municipalities run their own grant programs; ask your housing office. Tenants never pay for remediation of the landlord’s surfaces.

Failure questions

How long do I have to fix it?

If you are inside a 30-day notice window, the clock is already running. Without a notice, fix promptly: a documented hazard left open is exactly what draws enforcement.

Does a failure go on some record?

A failed New Jersey lead inspection does not go on a public list, but the municipality tracks the open case until it is cleared. After a notice of violation you have 30 days to comply, and past that fines run up to $1,000 per week per unit under N.J.S.A. 52:27D-437.19. Remediate, re-inspect, and a closed case with a certificate ends it.

Can I do the paint work myself?

Minor stabilization, generally yes, done properly (wet methods, cleanup). Work disturbing more than 6 square feet of interior painted surface in a pre-1978 building calls for EPA RRP-certified contractors (40 CFR Part 745).

Have a failed report in hand?

Read us the listed surfaces; we will tell you what the re-inspection needs.

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