New Bills are Adopted by City Council Increasing Lead Paint Regulations

In order to remove legal loopholes surrounding lead paint enforcement and get the city closer to its objective of ending childhood lead poisoning, the New York City Council has enacted two pieces of legislation. However, supporters are hoping that lawmakers will adopt further reforms in the upcoming week.

Peeling or chipped lead-based paint will be considered a class C “immediately hazardous” violation in common spaces of buildings, including co-ops and condos, where a kid under the age of six resides, according to Intro. 193.

Under Intro. 200, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and other building owners who objected to the city’s lead abatement orders must provide biannual reports to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

2,557 New York City children aged 6 or younger were found to have blood levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) or more in 2021, which was the cutoff point at the time that would have prompted an investigation by the city, according to a 2022 report by the DOHMH.

Owners of multifamily homes, including co-op and condo boards, are required to take quick action if they discover peeling or chipping lead paint in communal spaces including hallways, stairwells, and lobbies. Additionally, inspectors from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) are required by the bill to conduct visual inspections of common areas that are in their way when inspecting flats in buildings built before 1960 and housing children under the age of six.