Berkeley, CA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

(a) Any building or portion thereof including any dwelling unit, guestroom, or suite of rooms, or portion thereof, or the premises on which it is located, is deemed to be in violation of this part as to any portion that contains lead hazards. For purposes of this part, "lead hazards" means deteriorated lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, lead-contaminated soil, or disturbing lead-based paint without containment, if one or more of these hazards are present in one or more locations in amounts that are equal to or exceed the amounts of lead established for these terms in Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 35001) of Division 1 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations or by this section and that are likely to endanger the health of the public or the occupants thereof as a result of their proximity to the public or the occupants thereof. (c) In the absence of new regulations adopted by the State Department of Health Services in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act defining the term "disturbing lead-based paint without containment" or modifying the term "deteriorated lead-based paint," for purposes of this part "disturbing lead-based paint without containment" and "deteriorated lead-based paint" shall be considered lead hazards as described in subdivision (a) only if the aggregate affected area is equal to or in excess of one of the following: (1) Two square feet in any one interior room or space. (2) Twenty square feet on exterior surfaces. (3) Ten percent of the surface area on the interior or exterior type of component with a small surface area. Examples include window sills, baseboards, and trim.