Stearns County, MN Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ordinance 272, Section 6.3
- Standard
- Interior walls/ceilings free of flaking lead paint
- Enforcing official
- Environmental Services Director
- Max fine
- $1,000 plus up to 90 days jail
- Not covered
- No county lead-paint disclosure form
Summary
Stearns County Ordinance 272 requires every interior wall and ceiling in a rental dwelling unit to be free of flaking lead paint as part of its building maintenance standards, alongside a broader ban on toxic paints and materials with a lasting toxic effect.
6.3 Floors, Interior Walls and Ceilings. Every floor, interior wall and ceiling shall be adequately protected against the passage and harborage of vermin and rodents, free of visible mold growth, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. Every floor shall be free of loose, warped, protruding or rotted flooring materials. Every interior wall and ceiling shall be free of holes, large cracks, loose plaster, visible mold growth or flaking lead paint and shall be maintained in a tight weatherproof condition. Toxic paint and materials with a lasting toxic effect shall not be used. Every toilet room and bathroom floor surface shall be capable of being easily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
Full Breakdown
3, 'Floors, Interior Walls and Ceilings,' of Ordinance 272 requires every interior wall and ceiling in a rental dwelling to be free of holes, large cracks, loose plaster, visible mold growth, or flaking lead paint, and to be maintained in a tight, weatherproof condition. The same section separately bans the use of toxic paint and materials with a lasting toxic effect anywhere in the unit. This is a maintenance-condition standard rather than a disclosure statute: the Ordinance does not create a Stearns County lead-paint disclosure form, and any federal lead-based paint disclosure obligation for pre-1978 housing runs instead through the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, which is outside this county ordinance.
2 lets the Director declare a unit unfit for human habitation and order it vacated when a defect like flaking lead paint creates a hazard to health or safety.
Violations & Fines
Flaking lead paint found on inspection triggers a written Compliance Order under Section 8.1 with a deadline to repair or repaint, appealable to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days under Section 8.2. Failure to correct the condition is a misdemeanor under Section 10.1: a fine up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, and the unit can be declared unfit for habitation under Section 7.2 in the meantime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stearns County require a lead paint disclosure form for rentals?
What must a Stearns County landlord do about flaking lead paint on interior walls?
Can a Stearns County rental be declared uninhabitable over lead paint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stearns County
Compare Stearns County to another location·View the Minnesota building safety overview
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