The Grand Rapids community has numerous resources to help rental-property owners make and keep their income property lead-safe. The Healthy Homes Coalition recommends that landlords take the following three steps at all of their rental properties:

1. Assess the property for lead hazards.
2. Fix existing lead hazards.
3. Implement a maintenance plan, using lead-safe work practices, that keeps properties in good repair.

Assessing Your Properties

The Healthy Homes Coalition recommends that landlords start by having their properties assessed for lead hazards. Only when you know where the hazards are can you take action to fix them. There are both moral and legal consequences when a child is poisoned in your home. Not knowing about lead is not a defense for the criminal and civil penalties that have been designed to protect children.

Healthy Homes recommends that landlords hire a third party to get a combination Risk Assessment / Inspection report. This report will tell you where the lead-based paint is, and whether it is in hazardous condition, and will make recommendations for appropriate, yet cost-effective, repair. The Michigan Department of Community Health provides a list of currently certified risk assessors and inspectors.

If you choose not to hire a third party inspector, at the very least you should conduct a visual inspection at each of your properties twice a year. Be thorough, inspecting inside and out. Look for peeling and chipping paint. Watch for friction surfaces, like windows and doors, that are rubbing and creating lead dust. Make sure there is no bare soil around the home.

Fixing Lead Hazards

Making home repairs to fix lead hazards is a job best left to fully trained, state-licensed professionals. However, many landlords choose to make repairs on their own or to have them made by their maintenance staff or property management contractor. If you, your staff or your agents are considering making repairs, be sure to get training in lead-safe work practices. Lead-Safe Work Practices training courses are offered through the local Get the Lead Out! collaborative, as well as by others in west Michigan. See the News & Events section of this website for dates and locations.

If you are hiring repairs, be sure to compare at least three bids and talk to the contractors about what they will be doing to make sure your tenants and your investment will be protected from lead hazards. To find a contractor, consult the "Lead Removal" section of the yellow pages. Make sure you check each contractor's certification with the State of Michigan to ensure it is current. The Michigan Department of Community Health provides a list of currently certified contractors.

The primary sources for financing lead-hazard repair work for landlords in the City of Grand Rapids is the City of Grand Rapids Lead Hazard Control Program. This program currently offers landlords up to $8,000 per unit to make lead-hazard repairs. Eligible units must be in the City of Grand Rapids, either home to a child 0-5 years of age or vacant, and rented to a low-income family. For more information, call (616) 456-3030.

Implementing a Maintenance Plan

Even after you make repairs, an annual visual inspection is still recommended. Paint fails. Some repairs come undone. Remodeling can expose hidden lead-based paint.

Schedule annual inspections and make sure you and/or your maintenance staff are fully trained in lead-safe work practices. Doing so will protect you and your investment.

If you need further help figuring out where to start or what to do, always feel free to contact the Healthy Homes Coalition at (616) 241-3300.