Roommate Substitution Agreement Template (Page 5 of 7) in pdf

Tenant Lead Law Notification

What lead paint forms must owners of rental homes give to new tenants?

Before renting a home built before 1978, the property owner and the new tenant must sign two

copies of this Tenant Lead Law Notification and Tenant Certification Form, and the property

owner must give the tenant one of the signed copies to keep. If any of the following forms

exist for the unit, tenants must also be given a copy of them: lead inspection or risk

assessment report, Letter of Compliance, or Letter of Interim Control. This form is for

compliance with both Massachusetts and federal lead notification requirements.

What is lead poisoning and who is at risk of becoming lead poisoned?

Lead poisoning is a disease. It is most dangerous for children under six years old. It

can cause permanent harm to young children’s brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood

cells. Even at low levels, lead in children’s bodies can slow growth and cause learning

and behavior problems. Young children are more easily and more seriously poisoned than

others, but older children and adults can become lead poisoned too. Lead in the body of a

pregnant woman can hurt her baby before birth and cause problems with the pregnancy.

Adults who become lead poisoned can have problems having children, and can have high

blood pressure, stomach problems, nerve problems, memory problems and muscle and joint

pain.

How do children and adults become lead poisoned?

Lead is often found in paint on the inside and outside of homes built before 1978. The

lead paint in these homes causes almost all lead poisoning in young children. The main

way children get lead poisoning is from swallowing

lead paint dust and chips. Lead is so harmful that even a small amount can poison a

child. Lead paint under layers of nonleaded paint can still poison children, especially

when it is disturbed, such as through normal wear

and tear and home repair work.

Lead paint dust and chips in the home most often come from peeling or chipping lead

painted surfaces; lead paint on moving parts of windows or on window parts that are

rubbed by moving parts; lead paint on surfaces that get bumped or walked on, such as

floors, porches, stairs, and woodwork; and lead paint on surfaces that stick out which a

child may be able to mouth such as window sills.

Most lead poisoning is caused by children’s normal behavior of putting their hands or

other things in their mouths. If their hands or these objects have touched lead dust,

this may add lead to their bodies. A child can also get lead from other sources, such as

soil and water, but these rarely cause lead poisoning by themselves. Lead can be found in

soil near old, lead-painted homes. If children play in bare, leaded soil, or eat

vegetables or fruits grown in such soil, or if leaded soil is tracked into the home from

outside and gets on children’s hands or toys, lead may enter their bodies. Most adult

lead poisoning is caused by adults breathing in or swallowing lead dust at work, or, if

they live in older homes with lead paint, through home repairs.

How can you find out if someone is lead poisoned?

Most people who are lead poisoned do not have any special symptoms. The only way to find

out if a child or adult is lead poisoned is to have his or her blood tested. Children in

Massachusetts must be tested at least once a year from the time they are between nine

months and one year old until they are four years old. Your doctor, other health care

provider or Board of Health can do this. A lead poisoned child will need medical care. A

home with lead paint must be deleaded for a lead poisoned child to get well.

What kind of homes are more likely to have lead paint?

In 1978, the United States government banned lead from house paint. Lead paint can be

found in all types of homes built before 1978: single-family and multi-family; homes in

cities, suburbs or the countryside; private housing or state or federal public housing.

The older the home, the more likely it is to have lead paint. The older the paint, the

higher its lead content is likely to be.

Can regular home repairs cause lead poisoning?

Roommate Substitution Agreement Template Page 5

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