216 R.I. Code R. 50-15-5 § 216-RICR-50-15-5 § 5.4
Lead Hazard Mitigation (LHM) Inspections
Operative Text
A.Only a Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor shall conduct an LHM Inspection. 1.Exceptions a.When an owner is in receipt of a notice or order from the Department which requires a Conditional Lead-Safe Certificate (Form PBLC-15) or Full Lead-Safe Certificate (Form PBLC-21), all dwelling units at the subject property are disqualified and prohibited from obtaining a Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-1) from a private Lead Inspector for as long as the notice or order remains in effect, regardless of occupancy or blood lead levels. b.The owner shall contact the Department to arrange for lead inspection(s) of any other dwelling units at the subject premises by a State Inspector during the period the notice or order remains in effect. c.For condominium units, the inspection requirements are limited to the interior of the dwelling unit. The interior and exterior common areas are exempt from the LHM inspection requirements. B.Paint 1.The Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor shall follow the comprehensive environmental lead inspection protocol for evaluating paint in § 5.5(B) of this Part, except that paint testing is not required. All pre-1978 painted surfaces not tested must be assumed to be lead-based paint. a.Intact lead-based paint is conditionally lead safe. b.Damaged paint may be tested pursuant to § 5.7.2 of this Part. Paint below the lead-safe thresholds in § 5.8 of this Part is lead-safe regardless of its condition. C.Dust 1.The Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor shall collect dust wipe samples pursuant to § 5.7.3 of this Part. a.For a single-family dwelling or dwelling unit, a minimum of three (3) dust wipe samples from floors and window sills or window wells and one (1) field blank must be collected. b.For a multi-unit dwelling, at least one (1) additional dust wipe sample must be collected in each relative common area. 2.Dust wipe sampling may be postponed until the follow up inspection if the LHM Inspection identified any paint hazards. D.Soil 1.Optional soil sampling may be conducted pursuant to § 5.7.4 of this Part. The Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor shall follow the comprehensive environmental lead inspection protocol for soil sampling in § 5.5(D) of this Part. a.Covered soil is conditionally lead safe. 2.The Mitigation Report must indicate whether the soil was tested and lead safe or lead hazard, or not tested. E.Water 1.Optional water sampling may be conducted pursuant to § 5.7.5 of this Part. The Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor shall follow the comprehensive environmental lead inspection protocol for water sampling in § 5.5(E) of this Part. 2.The Mitigation Report must indicate whether the water was tested and lead safe or lead hazard, or not tested. F.Certificate of Lead Conformance 1.The Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor who conducted the LHM Inspection shall issue a Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-1) when the dwelling or dwelling unit and common areas, as applicable, including the building exterior and accessory structures, meet the lead mitigation standards in § 5.8 of this Part. a.The expiration date of the Certificate of Lead Conformance (FormLHM-2-1) will be two (2) years from the inspection date. 2.Between November 1st and March 31st, the Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor who conducted the LHM Inspection shall issue an Interior Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-3) when only the interior of the dwelling or dwelling unit and common areas, as applicable, meet the lead mitigation standards in § 5.8 of this Part. a.The expiration date of the Interior Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-3), will be the following June 30th; and b.The exterior paint hazards must be corrected by the following June 30th and an exterior re-inspection is required on or before June 30th to obtain a Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-2); and c.Before June 30th, the Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor who passes the exterior re-inspection shall issue a Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-2) and the expiration date of the certificate which includes the exterior, will be two (2) years from the date of achieving interior dust wipe clearance in the dwelling or dwelling unit and interior common areas, as applicable; or d.After June 30th, a full LHM Inspection, including interior dust wipe sampling, is required to obtain a valid Certificate of Lead Conformance (Form LHM-2-1).
Section 216-RICR-50-15-5 § 5.4 establishes the rules governing Lead Hazard Mitigation (LHM) Inspections in Rhode Island, including who may conduct them, what must be evaluated, and what certificates result. Only a licensed Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor may perform these inspections, and the process covers paint, dust, and optionally soil and water. When a property meets the applicable lead mitigation standards, the inspector issues a Certificate of Lead Conformance, which is valid for two years—though a seasonal Interior Certificate may be issued between November 1 and March 31 when only interior conditions are cleared, with exterior corrections required by the following June 30.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 216-RICR-50-15-5 § 5.4, property owners are responsible for ensuring that LHM Inspections are conducted only by a qualified Lead Inspector or Lead Assessor. Owners who have received a notice or order from the Rhode Island Department of Health requiring a Conditional or Full Lead-Safe Certificate must contact the Department directly to arrange State Inspector-led inspections, as private inspectors are disqualified for those units while the order remains in effect. Compliant operators typically track certificate expiration dates carefully—standard certificates last two years, while Interior Certificates expire the following June 30 and require a follow-up exterior re-inspection to maintain valid coverage.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 216-RICR-50-15-5 § 5.4 gives tenants a framework for understanding what a proper lead inspection of their home should involve, including paint evaluation, dust wipe sampling, and the issuance of a Certificate of Lead Conformance when standards are met. Tenants in units subject to a Department notice or order should be aware that only a State Inspector—not a private inspector—may certify those units during the period the order is in effect. Tenants who have concerns about whether a valid certificate is in place, or whether an inspection was conducted properly, may consider reaching out to the Rhode Island Department of Health or a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
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 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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