Jersey City, NJ Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

New Jersey's Lead Paint Inspection Law (P.L. 2021, c. 182), effective July 22, 2022, requires rental dwelling units in pre-1978 buildings to be inspected for lead-based paint hazards. Jersey City, with its large stock of pre-WWII brownstones and tenements, is heavily impacted. Inspections must occur every 3 years or upon tenant turnover, whichever is sooner, and must be performed by a NJ DCA-certified lead evaluation contractor or a municipal inspector. The inspection method is dust-wipe sampling in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:17-2.5 and 5:17-3. If no lead hazards are found, a Lead-Safe Certification is issued. If hazards are found, remediation must be performed and a re-inspection passed. Single-family owner-occupied homes, certified lead-free units (tested in full), and units with fewer than 10-year lead-free certifications have exemptions or alternative requirements. The Jersey City Division of Housing Preservation enforces the law locally and maintains the registry of certified units. Landlords must provide Lead-Safe Certification to tenants and maintain records. Fees for municipal inspection apply. Federal law (EPA RRP Rule) separately governs lead-safe work practices during renovation.