Local Lead Safe Programs

The cities of Toledo and Cleveland recently passed lead-safe rental housing ordinances and are in the process of implementing their ordinances. As the programs reach initial milestones for certification, it will be possible to determine, through a public data base, the pre-1978 rental units with lead-safe certificates and those without the lead-safe certificates.

Toledo’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Ordinance and Rental Registry
Owners of pre-1978, 1-4-unit residential rental property or a family childcare home in Toledo are required to have their property inspected and certified lead-safe (TMC 1760 “Residential Rental Properties and Lead Safety Compliance”). Implementation of the lead ordinance is taking place in phases based on census tract with high-risk census tracts prioritized. The first deadline is June 30, 2021, when all rental properties must be registered with the Lucas County Auditor. The deadline for an owner to have a Lead-Safe Certificate for Phase I properties is June 30, 2022. Phase II properties are due December 31, 2022 and Phase III on June 30, 2023.

See Lead Safe Toledo for more information. Steps in the process are:

Rental property owners of 1-4-unit residential properties must register their property in the Lucas County Auditor’s Rental Registry.

Owners are required to have a lead inspection by a local state-licensed lead inspector (lead risk assessor or clearance technician).

Rental property owners of 1-4-unit residential properties must register their property in the Lucas County Auditor’s Rental Registry.

The Lead-safe certificate is valid for 5 years or if the property has been fully lead-abated or the owner can prove it has no lead-based paint, repeated in 20 years.

The City of Toledo provides assistance to property
owners to prepare their properties for inspection.

Cleveland’s Rental Registration and Lead Safe Certification Ordinance
Owners of pre-1978 rental housing must have a Lead-Safe Certification from the City of Cleveland’s Department of Building and Housing (Chapter 365, Rental Registration and Lead Safe Certification). The program is being rolled out in phases on a quarterly schedule between March 2021 and March 2023. The schedule is based on the zip code of the rental unit. See Lead Safe Cleveland for more information. Steps in the process are:

Registration of rental units with the Cleveland Department of Building and Housing is required. See Lead Safe Cleveland for more information. Steps in the process are:

Owners must have a lead inspection by a lead licensed risk assessor or clearance technician and provide the City of Cleveland with a copy of a clearance inspection or risk assessment showing that lead hazards were not identified in the unit.

Properties with more than 5 units will only be required to inspect a portion of the units based on HUD Lead Guidelines.

The Lead-safe certification is valid for two years.

The City of Cleveland has grants, loans, and clearance incentives
to assist property owners to prepare their property for inspection.