Bergenfield, NJ Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

Chapter 313 of the Borough Code, adopted May 21, 2024 by Ordinance No. A. 16. Section 313-3 requires a certified visual lead assessment official hired by the Borough to inspect every single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwelling in Bergenfield starting January 1, 2025, and every three years afterward, unless the owner opts to hire an independent certified visual lead assessment contractor and file the resulting lead-safe certification with the Building Department within 10 business days. Three narrow exceptions exist under § 313-3D: a unit already holding a lead-free certification, any unit built during or after 1978, and units in multiple dwellings registered with the state for at least 10 years with no outstanding lead violations from their most recent Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law inspection.

If an assessment turns up a hazard, § 313-4 puts the cost of a follow-up lead inspection and any remediation on the property owner, who must then file a lead-free certification with the Building Department within 10 business days of completing the work. Owners must produce a valid lead-safe certification to the Building Department on request and to new tenants at every tenant turnover, attaching a copy to the lease, per § 313-5B. Section 313-7 sets Borough fees at $100 for a single-unit dwelling plus $50 per additional unit when the Borough's assessor is used, or $50 plus $25 per additional unit if the owner hires an independent contractor, with a separate $20-per-unit state Division of Community Affairs fee layered on either way.

A property owner who fails to comply gets 30 days to cure under § 313-8B; after that, § 313-8C authorizes a penalty of up to $1,000 per week until the violation is cured or remediation has begun.