I have a 10 month old daughter, and moved into the house I rent when I was pregnant. When my pediatrician mentioned her lead testing at her upcoming one year visit, it prompted my to ask my landlord if our home was deleaded, as it was built prior to 1979. My landlord told me she did not know if it has lead paint, but "its not like she's running around chewing on the walls." She did say they would look into calling someone to find out if there is lead or not, but what do I do in the meanwhile? Is there liability on their part? What if my daughter gets sick? Is there any consequence if she's not sick, but they allowed us to live here with a child under 6? I feel like an idiot for not asking about this before she was born. Any advice? Thanks.
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 21:36
Lead paint
Under Massachusetts law, the owner of a building with units that will be rented to families with children under six years of age must have the units tested for lead. Your landlord would be wise to look into the status of the paint ASAP, as she could be held liable for any lead poisoning caused to your child. For now, you just need to follow up with the landlord and, if necessary, with the inspectional services office in your town. Even if we assume your apartment has lead paint, as long as there is no peeling or flaking paint and your prevent your daughter from actively chewing on any painted surfaces, she should be fine. You should also know that landlords cannot evict you because of lead paint concerns. Follow this link for loads of information about the MA lead paint law.