Renting Out an Older Haddonfield Home? How the Lead-Safe Certificate Rule Works

If you rent out a Haddonfield home built before 1978, you need a current lead-safe or lead-free certificate before the borough will take your rental certificate of occupancy (CO) application. You can have the borough's inspector do a visual check for a $370 fee, or hire a state-certified lead inspector and file the certificate for $75. A lead-safe certificate lasts two years.

That's the short version. Here's what it means for your walls, windows and calendar.

Why this hits Haddonfield harder than most towns

Lead paint was banned for homes in 1978. A lot of Haddonfield's housing stock is older than that, so if you're renting out a single family house, a twin or an apartment over a garage, odds are this rule applies to you.

The state law behind it took effect July 22, 2022. The first inspection had to happen by July 22, 2024, or at tenant turnover, whichever came first. Haddonfield wrote the rule into its own code as Chapter 137.

What the inspection actually looks at

It's a visual assessment. The inspector is looking for lead paint hazards: paint that's peeling, chipping or chalking, plus friction spots like window sashes and door jambs, where old paint turns into dust.

The borough is clear that its inspector does a visual inspection only and doesn't do testing. If you fail, you hire a state-licensed lead inspector or lead remediator, fix the hazards, get reinspected, and then file the lead-safe certificate with the borough.

Your two paths

1. Borough visual inspection. File the Haddonfield Lead Visual Inspection Form. Fee: $370.
2. Bring your own certificate. Hire a lead evaluation contractor certified by the NJ Department of Community Affairs, then file the Lead-Safe or Lead-Free Certificate Filing Form. Fee: $75.

Both forms are on the borough's Construction and Zoning pages. The office is Room 104 at Borough Hall, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How often you'll do this

Haddonfield's page and Chapter 137 say rentals built before 1978 get evaluated every two years or at tenant turnover, whichever comes first. The state's own guidance describes a three year cycle with a two year certificate. Since your rental CO runs through Borough Hall, plan around the borough's two year timing, and ask the Construction and Zoning Office if your dates are close.

A lead-free certificate is different. It means no lead paint exists or it was fully abated. The borough says once one is on file for a rental, no additional filings are required.

Who's exempt

Under Chapter 137 and the state law, these units skip the inspection:

• Homes built in 1978 or later.
• Units already certified lead-free.
• Single and two family seasonal rentals rented less than six months a year, without consecutive lease renewals.
• Multifamily buildings registered with the state for at least 10 years with no outstanding lead violations.
• Units with a valid lead-safe certificate.

What you owe your tenant

Chapter 137 says you give new tenants a copy of the current lead-safe certificate at turnover and attach it to the lease. Keep your own record, too.

The interior takeaway

Here's the honest part. The cheapest inspection is the one you pass. Before you book it, walk the place like an inspector would. Look at window wells, sills, stair treads and any painted trim that rubs. Old paint that's intact is a different story from old paint that's flaking.

Sources

• Borough of Haddonfield: Resale and Rental CO information
• Haddonfield Code, Chapter 137: Lead-Based Paint Hazard Inspections
• NJ Department of Community Affairs: Lead-safe certification for rental dwellings

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