Your Western Upstate REALTORS® Association government affairs staff learned this week that an obscure technical change made by the EPA earlier this year removed the exemption for property managers from the EPA’s Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.
If you are a property manager and manage housing or a child-occupied property built before 1978, and you or a member of your team performs regulated construction activity that disturbs paint in that property, your property management company employees handling those repairs must have an individual certification as a certified Lead Safe Renovator and your company must complete a Lead Safe Firm certification.
Even if your company subcontracts renovation and repair work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing or a child-occupied facility, your firm must complete a firm certification and have at least one employee who is a certified renovator. The subcontractor also must be a certified Lead Safe Renovator and is responsible for ensuring that the firm performing renovation work performs the work in compliance with EPA Lead Safe rules. These certifications have an expiration date, so it is important to ensure that certifications are renewed.
We have learned that the EPA is performing surprise inspections in South Carolina and two property managers were recently levied substantial fines by the EPA.
You can learn more about complying with these new rules by visiting this EPA webpage.
Michael Dey, Government Affairs Consultant
michael@westernupstatemls.com