Baltimore Lead Paint Requirements for Home Sales

Start with the property’s history

Before listing, renovating, or writing an offer, confirm:

1. The year the property was built.
2. Whether it is owner-occupied, vacant, tenant-occupied, or recently used as a rental.
3. Whether Maryland Department of the Environment registration records or lead certificates exist.
4. Whether the owner has inspection reports, risk assessments, abatement records, renovation records, tenant notices, or prior disclosures.
5. Whether there are open lead, housing, or rental-license notices.
6. Whether planned work will disturb painted surfaces.

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation real-property system can help locate the recorded build year and assessment record. MDE also provides a public lead-certificate search. Neither public-record search replaces a property-specific professional review.

Federal disclosure for most pre-1978 home sales

Under the federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule, required information must be delivered before a buyer is obligated under a contract for most pre-1978 housing. The package generally includes:

• The EPA-approved Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home pamphlet.
• Disclosure of known lead-based paint and known lead-based paint hazards.
• All available records and reports concerning lead-based paint or lead hazards.
• A Lead Warning Statement and the required acknowledgments in the contract or an attachment.
• A 10-day opportunity for the buyer to conduct a lead inspection or risk assessment.

The parties may agree in writing to shorten or lengthen the inspection period, and a buyer may waive the opportunity in writing. Signed disclosure records generally must be retained for three years after the sale.

EPA published a revised January 2026 version of the Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home pamphlet. EPA says an older version may still be used only with the appropriate supplement containing the updated information.

The federal disclosure rule does not automatically require a seller to test the property or remove lead-based paint before sale. Buyers and sellers may still negotiate testing, repairs, hazard reduction, or other contract terms, and other laws or financing requirements may apply. EPA provides current answers about pre-sale testing and paint discovered during an inspection.

Maryland rules for a property that is or was a rental

Maryland’s Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing program generally covers pre-1978 rental dwelling units, regardless of renovation history, subject to statutory exemptions such as qualifying lead-free certifications and certain government-owned units. Current MDE rental-owner requirements and the Maryland OneStop registration entry state that an owner of a covered unit must:

• Register each covered rental unit within 30 days after acquiring the property.
• Renew registration every two years and pay the current $75 fee per rental unit.
• Provide required educational materials and the current inspection certificate to tenants at the start of a tenancy and every two years thereafter.
• Meet the Full Risk Reduction Standard at every change in occupancy.
• Use MDE-accredited inspectors and appropriately trained or accredited people or companies for regulated work.

For Full Risk Reduction at a change in occupancy, MDE says the property must be free of defective interior and exterior paint and pass a lead-contaminated-dust inspection performed by an MDE-accredited inspection contractor before the new occupancy.

Maryland’s program also includes a Modified Risk Reduction Standard triggered by certain notices. Because the response, treatment, timing, and relocation duties depend on the notice and facts, an owner who receives a notice should contact MDE and qualified legal or environmental professionals promptly.

Baltimore City registration and licensing are separate

State lead registration does not replace Baltimore City registration or rental licensing. The Baltimore City rental-license prerequisites require, among other things, current City registration and compliance with federal, state, and City lead-paint laws.

For a tenant-occupied sale, organize these records before marketing:

• Current MDE registration and lead-certificate information.
• Baltimore City registration and rental-license records.
• The current lease and tenant notices.
• Known inspection reports, notices, violations, and repair records.
• The planned treatment of the tenancy, security deposit, possession, and document transfer at closing.

Ask a Maryland attorney and the settlement professional to review tenant and purchaser obligations for the specific transaction.

Repairs and renovations can create lead dust

Paint that is intact may still contain lead. Work that disturbs painted surfaces can create hazardous dust even when the project is intended to improve the home.

EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Program generally requires paid firms performing covered work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes to be certified and to use trained renovators and lead-safe work practices, subject to the rule’s exemptions. Maryland also regulates lead inspection and abatement professionals. MDE provides a current lead inspection contractor directory.

Before authorizing work:

• Tell the contractor that the property was built before 1978.
• Ask whether the firm and renovator hold the certifications required for the work.
• Define the work area and dust-control plan.
• Keep proposals, certifications, test results, photographs, invoices, and clearance or completion documents.
• Do not describe work as “abatement,” “lead-free,” or “certified” unless the supporting record uses that term and applies to the property.

Buyer due diligence for an older Baltimore home

A buyer should receive and read the seller’s disclosures and every available report before the contract deadline. Useful questions include:

• Is the home pre-1978, and is an exception to the federal rule being claimed?
• Has the property been rented, and are current MDE and City records available?
• Is a document a lead inspection, risk assessment, risk-reduction certificate, limited lead-free certificate, or lead-free certificate?
• Which parts of the property were tested?
• Has painted-surface work occurred since the report?
• Could planned repairs or financing requirements call for additional evaluation?

An ordinary home inspection is not automatically a lead-based paint inspection or risk assessment. If lead information will affect the decision, use the contract period to consult a properly certified professional. Harrison’s Baltimore buyer resources can help organize the real-estate portion of that process.

A practical seller document folder

Create one folder containing:

• Build-year and assessment information.
• Federal and Maryland disclosure forms used in the transaction.
• The current EPA pamphlet or required supplement.
• All lead tests, reports, certificates, and tenant notices in the owner’s possession.
• MDE registration records and City rental records, if applicable.
• Contractor credentials, scopes, invoices, and completion records for paint-disturbing work.
• Signed acknowledgments and proof of delivery.

Organized records help the buyer and settlement team evaluate the property. They do not establish compliance by themselves; the controlling law, current agency record, and property facts still govern.

Questions about a specific Baltimore property?

Harrison can help organize the real-estate side of the conversation—property history, listing preparation, contract timing, and coordination with the appropriate professionals. He does not determine lead compliance or provide legal, environmental, construction, or medical advice.

Ask Harrison about a Baltimore property

Review Baltimore seller planning options

Official sources

• U.S. EPA — Real Estate Disclosures About Potential Lead Hazards
• U.S. EPA — 2026 Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home materials
• U.S. EPA — Renovation, Repair and Painting Program
• Maryland Department of the Environment — Rental Property Owner Requirements
• Maryland OneStop — Lead Paint Rental Unit Registration
• Baltimore City Code § 5-6 — Rental-license prerequisites