njrentcontrol

New Jersey lead-safe certification for rentals (2026)

Every pre-1978 rental unit in New Jersey must be lead-safe certified on a recurring schedule under P.L.2021, c.182, as amended by P.L.2024, c.74. This page covers what the law requires statewide; find your municipality below for its specific inspection method, fee, and contacts.

Certification is valid three years, not two

A lead-safe certificate is valid for three (3) years, changed from two years by P.L.2024, c.74 §1.d(2) (approved Sept. 12, 2024). Confirmed against the live, current DCA lead-safe certificate form, which now prints "VALID FOR THREE YEARS."

Caution: DCA's own 2022 guide, its worked timeline example, and its FAQ webpage (https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/resources/leadpaint.shtml) still say the certificate is valid for two years — those sources were not updated after the September 2024 amendment and are now outdated. Only the statute (P.L.2024, c.74) and the current certificate form control.

What the law requires

Covered dwellings
Single-family, two-family, and multiple rental dwellings built before 1978. Since the 2024 amendment, inspection also covers tenant-accessible common areas (hallways, stairs, foyers, basements, laundry rooms, attached/detached garage interiors) in buildings with two or three dwelling units.
Exempt dwellings
Built in 1978 or later; qualifying single-family/two-family seasonal rentals (under 6 months/year, no consecutive renewals — multi-unit seasonal buildings are not exempt); units already certified lead-free; units in a multiple dwelling registered with DCA 10+ years with no outstanding lead violations from its two most recent cyclical inspections; units with a valid, unexpired lead-safe certification already in place.
Initial inspection deadline
The earlier of tenant turnover or July 22, 2025 — extended from the original July 22, 2024 deadline by the 2024 amendment. (DCA's guide/FAQ pages, not updated since, still say July 22, 2024.)
Recurring cycle
Every 3 years, or upon tenant turnover, whichever comes first — unless a valid lead-safe certificate is already in place, in which case the turnover inspection is skipped until that certificate expires.
Certification validity
Three years — see the callout above. Must be affixed to the tenant's lease and a copy given to new tenants at turnover.
Method: visual vs. dust-wipe
Set per municipality by NJDOH's childhood blood-lead registry: under 3% of tested children age 6 or younger with an elevated blood-lead reading allows visual assessment (a town may still elect dust-wipe); 3% or more makes dust-wipe sampling mandatory. If an owner directly hires their own lead evaluation contractor, the owner may elect dust-wipe even in a visual-only town. Some municipalities on the state's "visual" list independently require dust-wipe locally anyway (see each town's page for its specific ordinance notes) — always check the municipal ordinance, not just the state list.
Who may inspect
The municipality's own inspector (if it has a permanent local agency); a lead evaluation contractor hired by the municipality (required where there's no permanent local agency); or a DCA-certified contractor the owner hires directly, unless the town has a documented reason to restrict that.
State fee
An additional $20 per unit, on top of whatever the municipality charges for the inspection itself, deposited into the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund.
Penalties
A 30-day cure period after a violation is determined, then a fine of up to $1,000 per week until the inspection is done or remediation is initiated — for both non-compliant owners and non-compliant municipalities.

Worked timeline example

A landlord whose rental unit received its lead-safe certificate on January 15, 2023 must have it renewed by January 15, 2026 (3 years later) — or sooner if a tenant turns over before then, since a turnover inspection is only skipped while a currently valid certificate is in place. A landlord who has never had the unit inspected needed it done by July 22, 2025 at the latest (the initial statutory deadline), or at the tenant's earlier turnover.

Landlord checklist

  1. Confirm the unit isn't exempt (built 1978+, DCA-registered 10-yr clean multiple dwelling, qualifying seasonal rental, or already lead-free certified).
  2. Check your municipality's method (visual or dust-wipe) below — or elect dust-wipe yourself if you hire your own contractor.
  3. Schedule inspection at the earlier of tenant turnover or every 3 years from your last certificate (initial deadline July 22, 2025 if never inspected).
  4. Pick who inspects: municipal inspector, the town's contractor, or your own DCA-certified contractor (confirm the town allows owner-hire).
  5. Budget the local inspection fee plus the mandatory $20/unit state fee.
  6. In a 2-3 unit building, a hazard found in one unit triggers inspection of the rest of the building's units and common areas (including garages).
  7. If a hazard is found, remediate (interim controls or abatement), then get re-inspected within 60 days.
  8. Once passed: get the lead-safe certificate (valid 3 years), affix a copy to the lease, give one to each new tenant at turnover, and keep records.
  9. At sale/closing, give the buyer N.J.A.C. 5:28A, the DCA guidance document, and any lead-safe certifications.
  10. Track the 3-year certificate/reinspection clock; cure any violation within 30 days to avoid the up-to-$1,000/week penalty.

Find your municipality

115 municipalities researched, grouped by county. Each page has that town's specific inspection method, fee, contacts, and sources.

Atlantic County

Bergen County

Burlington County

Camden County

Cape May County

Cumberland County

Essex County

Gloucester County

Hudson County

Mercer County

Middlesex County

Monmouth County

Morris County

Ocean County

Passaic County

Salem County

Somerset County

Sussex County

Union County

Warren County

The 51 dust-wipe municipalities (2025-26 state list)

Per DCA's 2025-26 Lead-Based Paint Inspection Methodology list, these 51 municipalities are currently required to use dust-wipe sampling rather than visual assessment. This is separate from the local-ordinance overrides noted on some "visual" towns' pages (e.g. Camden, Newark, Bayonne, Clifton, Hackensack) — those aren't on this state list, but require dust-wipe anyway under their own municipal code.

Email me before my lead-safe certificate expires

We'll send a one-time confirmation email first (double opt-in) — no reminder is sent until you click the link in it. There's no scheduled reminder sender wired up yet on our end beyond that confirmation, so treat this as staking a place in line; see the disclaimer below.

This page is informational, not legal advice, and does not review your specific situation. NJ Rent Control is an independent reference site, not a law firm or a government agency. Confirm current requirements with your municipality's code enforcement or health office, and consult a licensed New Jersey attorney about your rights or obligations.