NYC Lead Paint Law Explained: Local Law 1 and Local Law 31
NYC lead paint law is mainly Local Law 1 of 2004 and Local Law 31 of 2020. Together they require owners of pre-1960 buildings with 3+ units (or 1960-1978 buildings with known lead paint) to find and fix lead paint hazards, inspect yearly where young children live, and have every unit tested for lead paint with an XRF device.
Send the annual notice asking if a child under 6 lives in the unit. Inspect those units at least once a year for lead hazards. Fix hazards with lead-safe work practices by EPA-certified workers. At turnover, make friction surfaces on doors and windows lead-safe and clean the unit before the new tenant moves in. Keep records. Details are in annual notice requirements.
Requires an XRF lead paint inspection of all units in covered buildings by an EPA-certified inspector or risk assessor. The original deadline for most buildings was August 9, 2025, or sooner when a child under 6 moved in. Late buildings should test now. Read the Local Law 31 guide.
Since December 2021, NYC treats paint with lead at or above 0.5 milligrams per square centimeter (mg/cm²) as lead-based paint. This is stricter than the federal 1.0 mg/cm² standard. Older XRF results based on 1.0 may need retesting.
After lead work, NYC uses dust-lead limits of 5 µg/ft² for floors, 40 µg/ft² for window sills, and 100 µg/ft² for window wells. See lead dust wipe testing.
The EPA RRP rule requires certified firms for paint work in pre-1978 homes. Federal disclosure rules apply when renting or selling. See NYC lead paint disclosure rules.