6 Facts About New Jersey's Lead-Safe Law Before You Sell a Rented Two-Family
Who this is for: owners of rented one-, two- and multi-family homes built before 1978 in Bergen and Hudson County who are thinking about selling.
1. Selling does not trigger an inspection by itself.
The Department of Community Affairs states that the law has no inspection requirement for home sales. The trigger is tenant turnover, or the state's inspection cycle.
2. The rules changed in 2024, and many websites still show the old ones.
A 2024 amendment made lead-safe certificates valid for three years, not two. It also moved the deadline for the first inspection of a rented unit to three years after the law took effect, which lands on July 22, 2025.
3. Owner-occupied two-family homes are not exempt.
If you live in one unit and rent the other, the rented unit is covered. The exemptions are narrow: homes built in 1978 or later, units certified lead-free, short seasonal rentals, and certain multiple dwellings with a clean state inspection history.
4. You owe the buyer paperwork, not an inspection.
At the sale, give the buyer copies of any lead-safe certificates, the state lead rules, and the DCA guidance document. A buyer of an income property will ask for the certificate anyway.
5. The new owner inherits the clock.
After closing, the buyer must have a valid certificate at the next tenant turnover, and must attach it to the new lease. A current certificate makes your building easier to sell.
6. The penalty for ignoring it is real.
After a 30-day period to fix the problem, the penalty can reach $1,000 a week. Each town also adds a $20 per unit fee to a state lead hazard fund on top of its own inspection fee.
Thinking about selling a rental? Start with the seven-question seller assessment at https://quiz.sellecksellsnj.com/ or request a conversation at https://meet.sellecksellsnj.com
Scott Selleck, REALTOR, Broker Sales Associate | The Selleck Group | Keller Williams City Views Realty | 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 | Cell 201-970-3960 | Licensed since 1993. This is general information, not legal advice.
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