Charleston's pre-1978 housing stock, the largest concentration of historic homes in the South, triggers federal RRP lead-paint rules and disclosure requirements for renovations, sales, and rentals in the historic district.
Many Charleston single houses, Charleston double houses, and Ansonborough rowhomes predate 1978 and contain lead-based paint. The federal RRP Rule (40 CFR Part 745) requires EPA-certified renovators using lead-safe practices for any project disturbing more than six square feet interior or twenty square feet exterior. HUD lead-disclosure rules require sellers and landlords to give buyers and tenants the EPA Protect Your Family pamphlet plus known-lead disclosures. SCDHEC operates a state lead program. The Board of Architectural Review's required maintenance of historic exteriors makes lead-safe scraping, especially of palmetto-trim and piazza columns, an ongoing compliance issue.
Federal RRP violations carry substantial per-day EPA fines; failure to disclose under HUD rules creates civil liability to tenants and buyers, including treble damages in some cases.
See how Charleston's lead paint rules stack up against other locations.
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