The federal lead paint disclosure form for New Jersey rentals
August 27, 2026Every lease of pre-1978 housing must include the federal lead disclosure: a signed disclosure attachment plus the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home (42 U.S.C. § 4852d). This is a separate obligation from the NJ lead-safe inspection, and one does not replace the other.
The two documents, with official PDFs
1. Lessor’s disclosure of information. EPA publishes a sample lessor’s disclosure form (PDF). It goes into the lease as an attachment or inserted language, in the same language as the lease, signed by both sides, and states any known lead-based paint or hazards in the unit. Disclosure is not the inspection
The federal rule (42 U.S.C. § 4852d). Paperwork at lease signing: disclose what you know, hand over the pamphlet, keep the signed copy. No physical visit is involved.
The NJ lead-safe law (P.L. 2021, c.182). A physical visual inspection of the unit by a certified lead evaluation contractor or the municipality, producing a certificate valid two years. Both apply to the same buildings. Pre-1978 rental housing in New Jersey answers to both regimes at once. Doing one does not excuse the other.
What to do at each lease signing
Disclose what you know. Any known lead-based paint or lead hazards, plus available records and reports. A current lead-safe certificate is exactly such a record.
Attach and sign. The disclosure language goes into or onto the lease with signatures from both parties, confirming the pamphlet was received.
Keep the signed copy for three years. EPA’s rule: retain the signed disclosure for three years after the lease begins. The 10-day inspection window you may have read about applies to home buyers, not renters.
Disclosure questions
Does my lead-safe certificate replace the disclosure form?No. The federal form is still required at every lease. The certificate belongs in the same packet though: at tenant turnover, NJ separately requires giving the tenant evidence of a current certificate.
My building is newer than 1978. Do I need any of this?No: housing built in 1978 or later is outside both the federal disclosure rule and the NJ lead-safe law. The exemptions page covers how to document that.
Who enforces the disclosure rule?It is federal law, enforced with federal civil penalties, and it sits on top of the state and municipal enforcement of the inspection itself. The penalties page covers both layers.
Handling the lease is on you. The inspection is on us.
Certificates from NJ DCA-certified contractors, booked within 48 hours.
