Paint requirements
Interior walls, ceilings and other exposed surfaces in rental units must be kept smooth, clean, free
of flaking, loose or peeling paint, plaster or paper and maintained in a sanitary condition.
Painting or other protective coatings are the responsibility of the occupant, not the landlord when
required more than once every three years, as a result of acts or omissions of the tenant. (Rental
units are not required to be painted between tenants.)
Landlords of certain types of buildings must notify prospective tenants of lead-based paint
hazards in the dwelling they wish to rent and provide them with information about the
identification and control of such hazards. If the dwelling was built before 1978, contains
bedrooms and is to be rented for more than 100 days, the landlord must provide tenants with an
information pamphlet entitled “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home”. Also, the lease
agreement must include a federal disclosure form about lead-based paint or lead based hazards in
the property and any lead evaluation reports must be attached to the form. The landlord may be
unaware of a lead hazard, however, that does not mean that one does not exist. A local board of
health has the authority to order the removal of lead paint from the interior of a dwelling unit
when it causes a danger to occupants.