Jackson, NJ Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

Adopted July 23, 2024 (Ord. No. 25-24), Chapter 245, Article V enacts Jackson Township's lead-based paint program pursuant to P.L. 2021, c. 182, enforced to the same extent as that state law and its companion regulations at N.J.A.C. 5:28A-1.1 et seq. Section 245-26A requires an initial inspection at tenant turnover, or within two years of the law's July 22, 2022 effective date, whichever is sooner, for every single-family, two-family and multiple rental dwelling covered by the article. Section 245-26B then requires periodic inspection every three years or at tenant turnover, whichever comes first, unless the owner already holds a valid lead-safe certification.

Inspections may be visual assessments where less than 3% of tested children under six in Jackson Township have an elevated blood lead level, per § 245-27A; if that threshold is met or exceeded, § 245-27B requires dust-wipe sampling instead. Section 245-28 requires remediation, by abatement or interim control methods, when a hazard is found, followed by a clearance reinspection before the Township certifies the unit lead-safe for two years. Section 245-29 exempts units built during or after 1978, seasonal rentals under six months without consecutive renewals, and multiple dwellings registered with the state Department of Community Affairs for at least 10 years with no outstanding paint violations.

The Division of Code Enforcement enforces the article under § 245-30, and compliance is a precondition to obtaining a rental certificate of occupancy under § 245-16. Section 245-31 sets inspection fees of $60 for rental-certification inspections and $150 for other inspections, each plus a $20-per-unit surcharge into the state's Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund unless the DCA has already assessed it.