Children First initiated a successful two-year campaign that resulted in Philadelphia City Council passing a law in December 2011 requiring landlords to test their properties for lead hazards to prove they are lead-safe and help protect young tenants from lead poisoning.

At the time the law was passed, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported that 55% of properties that poison Philadelphia children were rental properties. The city’s Property Maintenance Code requires landlords to maintain their properties free of lead-based paint hazards, and many did but too many did not. Philadelphia is an old city with 95% of its housing stock built before 1978 when lead-based paint was banned for residential use. Consequently, many homes in the city have the potential to poison children.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health maintains a webpage with detailed information regarding the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords in terms of this law – which includes an informational document for tenants and a guide for landlords. Click here to view these documents and several others.