New Jersey's Lead-Safe Law, Explained for Landlords
Nov 42026
If you rent out a New Jersey unit built before 1978, it needed a lead-safe certificate by July 22, 2025, and an uncertified unit can draw fines of up to $1,000 per week. Those fines start only after a municipal notice of violation and a 30-day window to comply, under P.L. 2021, c.182.
The short answers
What is a lead-safe certificate in New Jersey, and how do I get one?
A lead-safe certificate is the document showing that a pre-1978 rental unit passed its lead-based paint inspection under P.L. 2021, c.182, with no deteriorated paint found. To get one, book an inspector certified by NJ DOH working for a DCA-licensed lead evaluation contractor, or your town's program where one exists. When the unit passes, the certificate is filed with your municipality with the $20 state fee; how long it lasts and when you inspect again is on the deadlines page. The inspection, start to finish →
Do I need a lead inspection for a rental in New Jersey?
Yes, if the unit was built before 1978 and you rent it out, unless one of four exemptions applies. Single-family homes, 2-to-4-family buildings, rented condos, and apartments are all covered; units you live in and do not rent are not. In Hudson County, where most housing predates 1978, the answer for most landlords is yes. See whether an exemption applies →
How do I get a lead-safe certificate in Jersey City?
Book either the city's own inspection at $200 per unit, non-refundable, plus the $20 state fee, or any DCA-licensed private contractor, in which case the $200 does not apply and only the $20 remains. Jersey City uses visual inspection, and the certificate is filed with the city. Separately, every covered property has to be registered with the Division of Housing Preservation and the registration updated within 20 days of a tenant turnover. Jersey City rules, fees, and filing office →
Lead-safe or lead-free: which one ends the inspections?
A lead-safe certificate keeps the unit in the regular inspection cycle. A lead-free certificate takes it out for good: it requires an XRF test of every painted surface under N.J.A.C. 5:17-3.6(b), and a unit that passes is permanently exempt from the law. Units that still have original trim and windows under old paint rarely pass, so lead-safe is the usual route. Compare lead-safe and lead-free →
Pick your situation
Which Hudson County town is your rental in?
The state law is the same in every town, but who inspects, what the town charges, and where the certificate is filed are set locally. Jersey City charges $200 per unit for a municipal inspection, while five of the twelve Hudson County municipalities publish no local lead fee at all. Each town page lists its own ordinance, fee, and filing office.
What will my town charge?
Every certificate carries a $20 state fee. On top of it, some towns set a municipal fee by ordinance: $200 in Jersey City, $125–$200 by unit size in Hoboken (Chapter 125, § 125-15), and $250 plus $25 filing in Bayonne. Compare all twelve towns in the requirements table →
When is my inspection due?
A unit that has never been inspected is already overdue: the first deadline was July 22, 2025, or the first tenant turnover after July 2022, whichever came first. After that, the inspection recurs every three years or at the next turnover, whichever comes first, and a turnover needs no new inspection while a valid certificate is in force. Find your deadline in three questions →
I missed the deadline. Now what?
Being late does not trigger an automatic fine. Enforcement starts when the town issues a notice of violation, which opens a 30-day cure window, and an owner who books right away fits comfortably inside it. Three steps to get compliant →
How big is the fine?
Up to $1,000 per week until the unit is certified, but only after a municipal notice of violation and an unused 30-day window to comply (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-437.19). A market-rate inspection costs less than a single week of fines. How penalties work, step by step →
Is my property exempt?
Four exemptions exist: units built in 1978 or later, units certified lead-free, seasonal rentals leased under 6 months a year without consecutive renewals, and multiple dwellings registered with DCA for 10+ years with no outstanding lead violations. The age exemption helps few owners here: per Census data (ACS B25034), 52% of Hoboken's housing units were built before 1980. Check the four exemptions →
A tenant is moving out. Do I need a new inspection?
Only if no valid lead-safe certificate covers the unit: while one is in force, a turnover needs no new inspection, and a renewal with the same tenant is not a turnover at all. How the turnover trigger works →
I rent a pre-1978 unit. What can I ask for?
Your landlord has to hold a lead-safe certificate and attach a copy to your lease. You can ask for it in writing, and the town's housing office can tell you whether one is on file for your address. Tenant rights and where to report, town by town →
Do I also need the federal disclosure form?
Yes. The New Jersey certificate and the federal disclosure under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d are separate duties, and neither replaces the other: before a lease binds, the landlord of pre-1978 housing hands over the EPA pamphlet and discloses any known lead hazards. A knowing violation can draw a HUD penalty of up to $22,263 per violation (24 CFR 30.65). Get the form and the rules →
What does an inspection cost?
A lead-safe visual inspection in Hudson County runs $125–200 per unit at market rates, plus the $20 state fee and, in some towns, a municipal fee. Multi-unit buildings get per-unit discounts. Pricing by portfolio size →
What happens during the inspection?
A NJ DOH-certified inspector (N.J.A.C. 8:62) walks every room and checks painted friction and impact surfaces: window sashes, doors, trim, stair rails. Intact paint passes; peeling, chipping, or chalking paint fails. The inspection, step by step →
My unit failed. What happens next?
A failed visual inspection is not a fine. The report lists each surface with deteriorated paint; you stabilize or abate those surfaces, pass a re-inspection, and the certificate is issued. What to fix and how re-inspection works →
Not on the list? The FAQ answers 40+ questions about the law, from rented condos to the difference from lead in drinking water.
One call: address, unit count, last certificate date. Inspection within 48 hours.