New Jersey Lead Law Update (FAQ Series): Is there an exemption for college student housing and “Seasonal Rentals” as the units are occupied for less than 6 months?

We are regularly receiving questions regarding the new Lead Law and have created a weekly “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s) forum for you as you desire to become more informed of the Lead Law and its complexity.

This week we are featuring a common question: 

Question: Is there an exemption for college student housing and “Seasonal Rentals” as the units are occupied for less than 6 months?

Answer:  The exemption for seasonal rental dwellings contained within P.L.2021, c.182 only covers seasonal rentals which are rented for less than six months in a calendar year.  As such, any college apartments or suites which are occupied for more than 6 months during the year must be inspected pursuant to the Law.

*Important note to landlords/real estate agents:

Just because a municipality has not yet communicated about the NJ Lead Based Paint Law, and/or is not conducting these inspections, as per the State law, a lead-safe certificate is still required for ALL residential rental properties.

As such, it is the responsibility of the landlord to hire an outside NJ Certified Risk Assessor (like Lead Testing Services LLC) to complete the lead test prior to tenant turnover (either a new tenant or lease renewal) or by no later than July 22, 2024.

We hope this information is useful/of interest to you and appreciate your continued business.