When is my NJ lead inspection due?

August 6, 2026

If your pre-1978 rental has never had a lead inspection, it is already overdue: the deadline was July 22, 2024 or the first tenant turnover after July 2022, whichever came first. After a first inspection, the cycle repeats every three years or at each turnover, and a current lead-safe certificate (valid two years) lets you skip turnover inspections. Source: P.L. 2021, c.182.

Find your deadline in three questions

1. Has the unit ever been inspected under this law? No: it is overdue. Book now, before a notice of violation starts the penalty clock. Yes: go to question 2.

2. Do you hold a lead-safe certificate issued within the last 2 years? Yes: you are covered until it expires, and turnovers in that window need no new inspection. Mark the expiration date; that is your next deadline. No: go to question 3.

3. Was the last inspection under 3 years ago, with no turnover since? Yes: your deadline is the 3-year mark or the next turnover, whichever comes first. No: the unit is due now.

The three common situations

Never inspected

Overdue since July 2024. Certifying voluntarily costs a fraction of one fine cycle; see penalties.

Certificate expired

The unit is uncertified again the day the certificate lapses. Re-book before the next turnover.

Turnover coming up

No current certificate means the inspection has to happen before the new lease starts. See how turnover works.

Why the two clocks confuse people

The certificate is valid for two years, but the re-inspection obligation recurs every three years or at turnover. They run independently. The practical rule: a current certificate always protects you; once it expires, the next turnover or the 3-year mark (whichever arrives first) is your hard deadline.

Deadline questions

My tenant renewed the lease. Is that a turnover?

No. A renewal with the same tenant is not a turnover. Turnover means the old tenant leaves and a new tenancy begins.

I just bought the building. Do the old deadlines follow me?

Yes. Deadlines attach to the unit, not the owner. A valid certificate transfers with the unit and should be handed to you at closing; a missing one is now your problem.

Is there any grace period?

Only the 30-day cure period after a municipality issues a notice of violation. Before a notice, there is no fine, but you are out of compliance. Details: penalties.

Two minutes to a booked inspection

Address, unit count, last certificate date. Inspection within 48 hours.

☎ Call (848) 313-9426