Local Law 31: What To Know About the Latest NYC Lead Paint Laws

Do you own a residential building in New York City built before 1960, or do you help manage an NYC building built between 1960 and 1978 that contains lead paint? Either way, Local Law 31 in NYC needs to be on your radar right now.

All building owners, landlords, and property managers in NYC’s five boroughs must plan to have lead paint inspections and abatements performed on their respective NYC properties before August 2025 to avoid facing the penalties that can come along with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the NYC Department of Health lead paint violations listed in NYC Local Law 31.

What Is Local Law 31?

New York City banned the use of lead paint in residential buildings in 1960, long before the Consumer Product Safety Commission instituted a federal ban on lead paint in residential settings nearly two decades later. Despite this, many older residential buildings in NYC have lead paint in them. Local Law 31 is designed to eliminate lingering lead paint from these buildings once and for all.

Under NYC Local Law 31, anyone who owns a building in NYC built before 1960 must arrange for EPA Lead-Safe certified inspectors from a company like NY Lead Paint Experts to carry out X-Ray Fluorescence lead inspections before August 2025. Those who own or help operate buildings built between 1960 and 1978 who know these buildings contain lead paint will also need to schedule lead paint inspections and removal.

If building owners, landlords, or property managers fail to comply with the new NYC lead paint laws, they can incur NYC DOH and HPD lead paint violations. The HPD and DOH can issue fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation uncovered after Aug. 9, 2025.

When Does Local Law 31 Go Into Effect in NYC?

Local Law 31 is already in effect in New York City. It has been in place since Aug. 9, 2020. However, the NYC HPD and DOH gave residential building owners, landlords, and property managers five years to meet the lead paint testing that were put in place. This window is closing quickly, though, so any building owners not in compliance with NYC Local Law 31 will need to plan to call on a lEPA certified company like NY Lead Paint Experts to assist them by Aug. 9, 2025 to steer clear of lead paint violations and fines.

What Are the Requirements of NYC Local Law 31?

The requirements for Local Law 31 in NYC are as follows:

• All rental units and common areas located inside residential buildings in NYC built before 1960 must undergo lead paint testing and lead paint abatement before Aug. 9, 2025.
• Any NYC residential buildings built between 1960 and 1978 and known to contain lead paint must undergo lead paint inspections and lead paint removal prior to Aug. 9, 2025.
• Lead paint inspection and abatement services performed on pre-1960 NYC buildings or buildings in NYC built between 1960 and 1978 must be conducted by EPA-certified inspectorsfrom a company like NY Lead Paint Experts.
• Building owners in NYC must test for lead paint in rental properties occupied by children under 6 within one year or by Aug. 9, 2025, depending on which one comes sooner.
• NYC residential building owners will face fines of up to $5,000 per violation and, in some cases, even more if they fail to comply with NYC Local Law 31.

All lead paint inspections performed under the new NYC lead paint laws must test for the presence of lead paint using a standard of 0.5 mg/cm2.

Which Types of Buildings Do the New NYC Lead Paint Laws Impact?

Local Law 31 will apply to a wide range of different types of residential buildings in New York City. This includes:

• Single-family homes and rental properties
• Multi-family homes and rental properties
• Condominiums

Co-op apartments