Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 7-4 regulates lead paint hazards with authority to inspect any residential building, child care facility, or school frequented by children age 6 and under. City inspectors may enter properties to test for lead hazards, and a warrant can be obtained if entry is denied. Landlords must disclose known lead hazards to tenants, and buildings found to have lead hazards must be remediated before new leases can be signed. The Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance adds additional disclosure requirements.
Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 7-4 (Lead Bearing Substances) authorizes city representatives to inspect any residential building, child care facility, school, or commercial establishment frequented by children age 6 and under to determine the presence of lead hazards. If entry is refused, the city may apply for an inspection warrant. When the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) identifies a lead hazard through inspection or blood lead level screening, the property owner is ordered to remediate the hazard. The landlord must notify all tenants by posting notice in common areas. Before entering a new lease on a unit with identified lead hazards, the landlord must obtain a certificate of compliance from the department. Under federal law (42 U.S.C. 4852d) and the EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, landlords of pre-1978 housing must provide tenants with an EPA pamphlet on lead-based paint and disclose known lead-based paint or hazards. The Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance requires landlords to provide a written summary of tenant rights alongside the federal lead disclosure form. Illinois law also requires lead risk assessments for buildings where a child with an elevated blood lead level resides.
Failure to remediate identified lead hazards can result in court-ordered compliance, fines, and prohibition from leasing affected units. Landlords who fail to provide required lead disclosures face federal penalties up to $19,507 per violation under the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act. Properties with unresolved lead orders cannot enter new leases until a certificate of compliance is obtained.
Chicago, IL
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