Guide · Safety and emergencies

Lead Paint Awareness

A gentle, practical guide to lead-based paint in older homes, how to keep everyone safe, and especially how to protect little ones.

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Where to start

Seeing peeling or chipping paint?
Gently keep children and pets away, and please don’t scrape or sweep it. See if you see peeling or chipping paint.
Living in a home built before 1978?
Tick through everyday habits that protect. A damp paper towel on the window sills each week is a great first step.
Owner of an older home?
See before a lease or sale begins and repairs and renovations.

The short version

Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint. Paint in good condition is usually not the hazard. Peeling, chipping and dust are.

Young children and pregnant people are most at risk. A doctor can arrange a simple blood lead test.

Everyday habits help a lot: wet-wipe sills and floors, wash hands and toys often, and share peeling paint right away.

Federal rules require disclosure and an EPA pamphlet for most pre-1978 homes, and paint-disturbing repairs should use lead-safe practices.

Rules can also differ from place to place, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at your local rules. If you ever have questions, we would love to help.

Four simple rules

1
Homes built before 1978 may have it
Lead-based paint was banned for homes in 1978. Older homes may still have it under newer layers.
2
Intact paint is usually not the hazard
Peeling, chipping and dust from sanding or scraping are what create risk, especially on windows, doors and stairs.
3
Children need the most care
Young children and pregnant people are most at risk, and no safe blood lead level in children has been identified.
4
Repairs should be lead-safe
Work that disturbs paint in older homes should use lead-safe practices, and paid work generally calls for an EPA-certified firm.

Try it

Everyday habits that protect

From the guide’s own habits. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

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Wet wipe window sills, window wells and floors regularly with a damp cloth or mop to catch dust.
Wash children’s hands often, especially before eating, naps and bedtime.
Wash toys, pacifiers and bottles regularly, since little ones put them in their mouths.
Take shoes off at the door, or use a good doormat, to keep soil dust from being tracked in.
Share peeling, chipping or cracking paint right away, in writing, with photos if you can.
Ask a doctor about a simple blood lead test for young children, especially in an older home.

A few things to avoid

Please don’t sand, scrape or dry sweep painted surfaces in an older home without checking first.
Please don’t let children chew on or play near peeling paint, window sills or porch railings.
Please don’t start painting or repair projects in a home built before 1978 without written permission and lead safe practices.
Please don’t use a regular household vacuum to clean up paint chips. It can spread fine dust.

A damp paper towel is one of the best tools in an older home. Wiping window sills once a week catches dust before little hands find it.

If you see peeling or chipping paint

Take a breath. Peeling paint can be handled safely, and you were right to notice it.
Gently keep children and pets away from the area until it is addressed.
Don’t scrape or sweep it. Pick up loose chips with a damp paper towel and wipe the area with a wet cloth.
Take a photo and share it in writing with whoever handles repairs.
Repairs should be done with lead safe work practices, by trained and certified workers where required.
After the work, the area should be carefully cleaned, and you may ask about a dust wipe test for peace of mind.

When you share a paint concern, a quick photo with something for scale, like a coin, helps everyone understand the size of the area right away.

Where lead paint is usually found

Lead paint is most often found on windows and sills, doors and frames, stairs and railings, porches and exterior trim in homes built before 1978. Surfaces that rub or get bumped, like windows opening and closing, can create fine dust even when the paint looks fine.

Wet cleaning beats dry. Dry dusting and sweeping can stir up fine lead dust. A damp cloth or mop, rinsed often, picks it up instead of spreading it.

For owners

Before a lease or sale begins

From the guide’s list for older homes. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

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Give the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home” before a lease or sale is signed.
Share any known information, records or reports about lead based paint or lead hazards in the home.
Include the Lead Warning Statement and disclosure form with the lease or sales contract, signed by everyone.
Keep the signed disclosure, the pamphlet and any test results together.
Walk the home before anyone moves in and address any peeling, chipping or deteriorated paint first.

For owners

Repairs and renovations

From the guide’s list for work in older homes. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

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Respond quickly and kindly to any report of peeling or chipping paint, especially where children live.
Use an EPA lead safe certified firm for paid renovation, repair or painting work that disturbs paint in a home built before 1978.
Make sure the “Renovate Right” pamphlet is shared before covered work begins.
Ask that work areas be contained and that dry sanding, open flame burning and high heat stripping be avoided.
Make sure the area is cleaned carefully afterward, and consider a dust wipe test.
Keep records of the work, the firm’s certification and any test results.

Helpful resources

U.S. EPA: Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards and U.S. EPA: Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead. Rules differ from place to place, so please check the EPA pages and the rules where your home is. If you have health concerns, please talk with a doctor. A local landlord or tenant association, your health department, or an attorney in your area can help with questions.

Printable checklist

Like it on paper?

The printable checklist for this guide is fillable, with a screen version and an ink saver print version. Keep it on your phone or pin it to the fridge.

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Test yourself

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From The Perfect Series

Go deeper with The Perfect Move-In Checklist Workbook

Simple, step by step checklists you can write in for moving in: the move in walk, moving day, your first week, utilities, keys and more.

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Keep the full guide handy

The PDF has everything: everyday habits, what to do when something goes wrong, common myths, helpful resources and plenty of real-world tips. Print it, save it or share it with anyone who could use it.