Philadelphia, PA

An estimated 95% of owner-occupied and rental housing units in Philadelphia could contain lead‐based paint because they were built before 1978. Approximately 70% have an even higher risk of having lead-based paint because they were built before 1950.

The Lead Paint Disclosure Law, passed in 2012, caused homeowners and landlords to send approximately 2,000 lead-free or lead-safe certificates to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). The Lead Paint Disclosure Law includes provisions for fines or penalties up to $2,000 per day for landlords who fail to comply. Even though the Lead Paint Disclosure Law is in effect, children are still experiencing lead poisoning due to older housing stock.

In 2016, PDPH began proactively enforcing the Lead Paint Disclosure Law’s requirements by educating landlords through individual letters and issuing violation notices.

While the law applied to all rental properties, several properties were exempt from the lead certification requirement. These included properties built after February 1978, college dormitories, housing designated for college students, Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and Section 8 housing, and housing in which a child aged six and under would not reside. PDPH participates in the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Group, which forms recommendations on primary and secondary prevention actions to reduce lead exposure. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Group recommended expanding the Lead Paint Disclosure Law to include all rental units built before 1978, which resulted in the Philadelphia City Council passing Bill #180936 to update the Lead Paint Disclosure Law on September 26, 2019.

Beginning October 1, 2020, landlords operating rental properties in eleven zip codes—regardless of whether children under seven reside at the property—will be required to obtain a lead‐free or lead-safe certification to execute a new or renewed lease or to receive a new or renewed rental license. The remaining zip codes in Philadelphia will be phased in over a two‐year period. Landlords in those remaining zip codes will continue to be subject to the previous law during those two‐years, only requiring a valid lead certification if children under seven will be living on the premises. Also, only college dormitories and properties built after February 1978 will be exempted from the lead certification requirement for rental properties.

Philadelphia hopes this success will contribute to their goal to reduce the number of children with blood lead levels greater than or equal to 5 micrograms per deciliter by 40% from 2,106 children in 2011 to 1,200 children in 2020.