Lynchburg, VA Building Safety: Lead Paint (2026)

Sec. 00 under Va. Code § 36-106, for an owner or other person to violate any code provision relating to lead hazard controls that poses a hazard to pregnant women and children under six occupying the premises. If the court sets a deadline to control the hazard, each day it remains uncontrolled after that deadline is a separate violation. The same subsection requires a landlord to maintain a dwelling unit's painted surfaces in compliance with the Maintenance Code of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code; a landlord's failure entitles the tenant to terminate the rental agreement, and retaliating against a tenant, including terminating the lease, after the tenant reports a lead hazard or that their child has an elevated blood lead level is retaliatory conduct violating Va.

39. Sec. 11-123, governing demolition permits, adds a construction-stage safeguard: before demolishing any building constructed before January 1, 1985, asbestos testing and, where needed, remediation must be completed; before demolishing any building constructed before January 1, 1978, the demolition must be a "wet demolition," meaning water is sprayed on the structure while it is torn down, specifically to contain lead-based paint dust. All applicable permits must still be obtained for either step, and Sec. 11-123(7) requires the division of inspections to be notified on completion so the site can be inspected for compliance with these requirements.