D.C. Code tit. 8 § 8-231.04

Disclosure and risk reduction requirements.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/12/2026District of ColumbiaFederal Disclosure (Title X)

Operative Text

D.C. Code tit. 8 § 8-231.04
(a) (1) The owner of a dwelling unit constructed before 1978 shall disclose to the purchaser or tenant of the dwelling unit information reasonably known to the owner about the presence of any of the following conditions in the unit:

(A) Lead-based paint;

(B) Lead-based paint hazards; and

(C) Pending actions ordered by the Mayor pursuant to this subchapter.

(2) The disclosures shall be provided on the lead disclosure form provided by the Mayor.

(3) The disclosures shall be provided before the purchaser or tenant is obligated under any contract to purchase or lease the dwelling unit.

(b) The owner of a dwelling unit constructed before 1978, which unit will be occupied or regularly visited by a person at risk, shall provide to the tenant an accurately and fully completed lead disclosure form and a clearance report issued within the previous 12 months. The disclosures required by this subsection shall be disclosed before the tenant is obligated under any contract to lease the dwelling unit.

(c) If a tenant of a dwelling unit constructed before 1978, in which unit a person at risk resides or which unit a person at risk regularly visits, notifies the owner of the property in writing that a person at risk resides in or regularly visits the dwelling unit, the owner of the dwelling unit shall provide to the tenant within 30 days a clearance report issued within the previous 12 months.

(d) Instead of providing the disclosure form and clearance report required by this section, an owner may provide:

(1) A report from a risk assessor or inspector certifying that the dwelling unit is a lead-free unit; provided, that for the purposes of this subsection, the term “lead-free unit” shall mean the definition of lead-free unit in effect at the time of unit certification; or

(2) Three clearance reports issued at least 12 months apart and within the previous 7 years; provided, that the property was not, and is not, subject to any housing code violations that occurred during the past 5 years or any that are outstanding.

(e) The owner of a dwelling unit shall provide notice to its tenants of their rights under this subchapter on a form provided by the Mayor whenever the tenant executes or renews a lease for the unit and whenever the owner provides notice of a rent increase.

(f) If the owner of a dwelling unit learns of the presence of lead-based paint in a dwelling unit, the owner shall:

(1) Notify the tenant of the presence of lead-based paint within 10 days after discovering its presence; and

(2) Provide the tenant with a Lead Warning Statement described in 40 C.F.R § 745.113 and the lead hazard information pamphlet described in section 1018 of the Residential Land-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, approved October 28, 1992 (106 Stat. 3910; 42 U.S.C. § 4852d); provided, that the Lead Warning Statement and lead hazard information pamphlet need not be provided if they have been provided to the tenant within the prior 12 months.

(g) Twelve months after the effective date of rules implementing this subchapter, the Mayor shall submit a report on the status of the implementation of this section. The report shall include:

(1) A statement on the capacity, to date, of both the private and public sector to carry out the provisions of this section in all units in buildings built before 1950; and

(2) An analysis of other factors which may impact expanding compliance to all units in buildings built before 1950, such as existing federal requirements, cost, and liability.

(h) (1) Within 90 days after March 31, 2011, the Mayor shall:

(A) Provide the lead disclosure form to be used as the basis for the lead disclosure statement required by subsections (a) and (b) of this section; and

(B) Petition for approval from the EPA certifying that the District’s form meets the federal disclosure standards.

(2) The form issued by the Mayor as required by paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection shall include all elements required by 24 C.F.R. §§ 35.90 and 35.92 and 40 C.F.R. § 745.107, promulgated by Lead; Requirements for Disclosure of Known Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing, Final Rule, including the Lead Warning Statement, to meet the Federal standard for use of alternative disclosure forms.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

D.C. Code § 8-231.04 establishes a framework of lead-related disclosure obligations for owners of pre-1978 dwelling units in the District of Columbia. Before any purchase or lease contract is signed, owners must share known information about lead-based paint, lead hazards, and any Mayor-ordered actions using the official lead disclosure form. When a unit will be occupied or regularly visited by a person at risk, the owner must also supply a clearance report issued within the prior 12 months, and if a tenant later notifies the owner in writing that a person at risk is present, the owner has 30 days to provide that clearance report. Owners may satisfy certain requirements through alternative documentation, such as a lead-free certification or a series of qualifying clearance reports.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Operators of pre-1978 rental units in D.C. should be familiar with the layered obligations set out in § 8-231.04. Compliant owners use the Mayor-issued lead disclosure form before a lease is signed, supply a current clearance report when a person at risk will occupy or regularly visit the unit, and respond within 30 days when a tenant provides written notice that a person at risk is present. Owners also provide tenants with notice of their rights under this subchapter each time a lease is executed or renewed and each time a rent increase notice is issued, and they notify tenants within 10 days of discovering lead-based paint along with the required Lead Warning Statement and hazard information pamphlet.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under D.C. Code § 8-231.04, tenants of pre-1978 units have the right to receive lead disclosure information on the official form before signing any lease, and those living with or regularly visited by a person at risk are entitled to a clearance report no more than 12 months old. If a person at risk moves into or begins regularly visiting the unit after the lease begins, tenants can trigger the owner's 30-day obligation to provide a clearance report by submitting written notice to the owner. Tenants who believe these disclosures have not been provided may explore options such as raising a violation as a defense in a housing proceeding, filing a complaint with the relevant D.C. agency, or contacting a local tenant-rights organization for guidance.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 12, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

42 U.S.C. § 4852d
Not yet ingested
40 C.F.R. § 745.107
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

D.C. Code § 8-231.03
D.C. Code § 8-231.03
D.C. Code § 8-231.10
D.C. Code § 8-231.11
D.C. Code § 8-231.15
D.C. Code § 8-231.16
D.C. Code § 8-231.01

Related Rules

§ 574.635
§ 574.635 Lead-based paint.
§ 196
Prohibited acts relating to lead-based paint, glaze or other substance; punishment; embargo of personal property
§ 35.940
§ 35.940 Special requirements for insular areas.

Source Information

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