Resources for Property Owners

Finding a State Certified Lead Professional

Lead Safe Resource Center List of RRP certified contractors and licensed lead professionals.

Ohio Department of Health. Lead Licensure and Accreditation Program

Financial Assistance for property owners

City of Cleveland Lead Hazard Control Program Residents of the City of Cleveland living in older homes with children under the age of six (6) years and whose incomes are included in the guidelines below may participate in this program. Landlords are required to contribute to the project depending on funding availability and project costs. Complete applications are scored to determine priority and a. Eligible housing units include: Home must be in the City of Cleveland and built before 1978. A child under age six (6) must live in or visit the home 20+ hours each week, or a pregnant woman must live in the home. Lead hazards must be identified (all eligible families get a free lead inspection).The family living in the home must qualify as low-income. Program no longer accepting applications while the City seeks additional funding

Lead Safe Cuyahoga  Owners of properties built before 1978 in selected suburbs may qualify for home repairs. 

Lead Safe Ohio. The Lead Safe Ohio Program, which is part of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's ongoing efforts to make more of Ohio's homes lead-safe for children and families, invested $150 million toward state and local efforts to prevent lead poisoning and remediate homes of contamination. Funds for this program have been awarded and projects identified. Applications are no longer being accepted for lead safe renovations. Please refer to your local providers for information on home repair programs you may be eligible for. The Ohio General Assembly funded the program in House Bill 45, with money appropriated through the American Rescue Plan Act. Governor DeWine signed the bill into law on Jan. 6, 2023, and programs are wrapping up in 2026.  

Ohio Medicaid Grant (SCHIP). The ODH lead program has funding to remove lead paint hazards from homes built before 1978. This program is statewide and available in every Ohio county. The goal is to help protect families with Medicaid-eligible children and/or Medicaid-eligible pregnant women against the dangers of lead paint hazards.

Ohio Lead Abatement Tax Credit.This program issues state income tax credits to Ohio property owners for lead abatement expenses incurred for their eligible dwelling. Beginning in 2020, the Ohio Lead Abatement Tax Credit Program provides a state income tax credit to Ohio property owners who incur qualifying lead abatement costs in connection with an eligible dwelling.  The tax credit is capped at $40,000.00 per taxpayer and per eligible dwelling (beginning July 1, 2025). 

Getting information on Lead Pipes and Plumbing

One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from homeowners (and some tenants) is: "How do I know if I have lead water pipes." Luckily Cleveland Water Department has *some* answers. Find your service lines and Check your indoor plumbing. 

In order to get more specific information on when you can expect the Water Department to replace lead pipes, CLASH recommends that you ask your Councilperson to contact the water department on your behalf. You can find your Councilperson by clicking here.

Disclosing Lead Hazards to Renters

Federal Law requires that landlords disclose in writing any known lead hazards to prospective tenants at the time of rental. The Federal requirements are also part of State law and Cleveland codified ordinance.

Cleveland's Codified Ordinance section 240 has some additional requirements

• Notice to tenants when a landlord learns of lead hazards. Section 240.06 requires "If the owner of a residential unit learns of the presence of lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards the owner shall notify each tenant of the presence of lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards within ten (10) days of discovering its presence. In addition, the owner shall notify prospective tenants of presumed lead-based paint and shall provide each tenant with a Lead Warning Statement and the lead hazard information pamphlet, as prescribed by 42 U.S.C. 4852d."

• Notice to tenants before beginning lead safe work.  Section 240.08 requires "For any lead abatement, interim controls, lead-safe maintenance practices or lead-safe renovation work in a residential unit, child day-care facility or school, the owner shall provide seven (7) days advance written notice to all occupants of residential structures, or all parents, students, teachers, and staff of child day-care facilities or schools from which lead-based paint is to be removed, and to all occupants of residential structures which are within thirty (30) feet of the residential structure, child day-care facility or school from which the lead-based paint is to be removed. The notice shall be as prescribed by the Commissioner and shall include, at a minimum, the address at which the lead-based paint will be removed, the date of commencement of the lead-based paint removal, the anticipated length of time to complete the removal, and the method by which the lead-based paint will be removed. The notice shall include a copy of an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet."

Do it yourself?

Can a rental property owner perform lead abatement on an unoccupied residential property without meeting the abatement training and certification requirements? Answer:  No. Persons wishing to perform lead abatements are exempt from the abatement training and certification requirements only if they meet all of the following requirements at 40 CFR 745.220(b): The person is the owner of the residential dwelling. The residential dwelling is occupied by the owner or the owner’s immediate family. A child with an elevated blood lead level (EBL) is not residing in or occupying the residential dwelling.

Repair, Renovate, and Paint: the RRP Rule. EPA recommends homeowners hire a lead-safe certified contractor who is certified and trained in lead-safe work practices, meaning a group of techniques to prevent lead exposure resulting from renovation and repair activities. And in fact, the RRP rule requires that contractors performing RRP projects in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities, and preschools be lead-safe certified. Generally speaking, the RRP rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own home. However, it does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a child care center in your home or if you buy, renovate and sell homes for profit (i.e., a house flipper). If you decide to do the work yourself, make sure to use lead-safe work practices for do-it-yourself (DIY) home renovation projects to protect you and your family.
Here's an overview of the RRP rule