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Massachusetts lead law for landlords (2026)

Short answer: Massachusetts has no routine lead certificate. Two things apply to rentals built before 1978: before every new lease, you and the tenant sign the Tenant Lead Law Notification and Certification Form (it also covers the federal disclosure), and when a child under 6 lives in the unit, you must get a Letter of Full Compliance (deleading) or a Letter of Interim Control (1 year, renewable once). A Letter of Full Compliance doesn’t expire while the unit is kept up. Refusing to rent to families with young children because of lead is illegal.
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Who it covers

Not a periodic certificate. When a child under 6 lives in a home built before 1978, the owner must have it deleaded (Letter of Full Compliance) or put under interim control (Letter of Interim Control). Separately, every landlord of a pre-1978 rental must give the Tenant Lead Law Notification and sign the Tenant Certification Form before renting, whether or not children live there.

How long it lasts

Letter of Full Compliance: no expiry while maintained. Letter of Interim Control: 1 year, renewable once (2 years at most).

What it costs

Inspector prices: Boston averages about $542 (Angi 2026); posted MA price lists run $450–$600 for the first unit plus $400–$500 per extra unit. State tax credit up to $3,000 per unit for full deleading.

If you don’t comply

Strict liability: the owner is liable for all damages to a poisoned child under 6 caused by failure to delead (M.G.L. c. 111 § 199). Holding a Letter of Full Compliance or Interim Control removes strict liability but the owner must still take reasonable care. Willfully ignoring a notice or order adds punitive damages of triple the actual damages. Tenants cannot sign away these rights. Refusing to rent to, refusing to renew, or evicting families with children because of lead is illegal discrimination under c. 151B (MCAD complaints) and violates c. 93A and c. 186 § 18.

What you need and when

What you needWhenCost
Tenant Lead Law Notification + Tenant Certification Form
Before renting a pre-1978 unit, owner/agent and tenant sign two copies of the Tenant Certification Form; tenant keeps one. Attach any lead inspection reports and compliance letters, including any found in the state's Lead Safe Homes database. Keep the signed form at least 3 years from the start of the rental. This form satisfies both Massachusetts and federal disclosure.		before each new tenant moves inFree state form.
Letter of Full Compliance (deleading)
Required as soon as a child under 6 lives in a pre-1978 unit with lead hazards. A licensed lead inspector inspects; licensed deleader (or trained, authorized owner for low-risk tasks) does the work; inspector reinspects with dust wipes and issues the letter. A new owner has 90 days after purchase. No expiry while maintained: if paint starts peeling or coverings fail, the letter stops protecting you. A Post Compliance Assessment Determination (PCAD) can update it (Certification of Maintained or Restored Compliance).		when a child under 6 lives in the unitInspector fees, typically $450-$600 for the first unit plus $400-$500 per extra unit, plus reinspection (inspector price lists); deleading cost varies.
Letter of Interim Control
Temporary option: a licensed risk assessor finds urgent hazards, they are fixed, and the assessor issues the letter. Valid 1 year; can be renewed once for 1 more year after reinspection. No property may stay under interim control longer than 2 years; by then it needs a Letter of Full Compliance if a child under 6 lives there. Not available if a lead-poisoned child lives there (unless DPH waives). Stays with the property if sold.		every yearRisk assessor fees (one Boston firm lists risk assessments from $800); urgent-hazard repair costs vary.

Not covered

Certificate types

How to get inspected

CLPPP-licensed lead inspector for full compliance letters; CLPPP-licensed risk assessor for interim control letters. XRF users also need a state Radiation Control Program license.

Typical cost: Boston average $542 ($325-$758) per Angi 2026; inspector price lists $450-$600 for the first unit and $400-$500 per additional unit; the state's 'All About Deleading' brochure still says up to $300 for a small apartment and $500 for a larger home (outdated) (source). More in what a lead inspection costs.

Fees

What to give tenants

The federal lead disclosure rule applies on top of this for nearly every rental built before 1978. What it requires.

Where to register or file

Lead Safe Homes database (CLPPP 'Find your home's lead history'): Online lookup of inspection reports and letters filed by inspectors. Landlords do not register; they must check it and give tenants what is there.

Evictions and rent

M.G.L. c. 111 § 199A(c): refusing to renew or evicting families with children to avoid the Lead Law is not compliance and violates c. 93A § 2 and c. 186 § 18 (retaliation).

Where sources disagree: Tax credit amounts: 830 CMR 62.6.3 on Mass.gov and Cornell still says $1,500 (full) / $500 (interim). DOR's 2025 Schedule LP and Mass.gov's tax credit page say $3,000 (full) / $1,000 (interim, within the $3,000) for tax years from 2023. A DOR hearing notice for 2026-11-10 to update the regulation describes the interim cap rising to $1,500, which disagrees with the $1,000 on Schedule LP. We use $3,000 / $1,000 from the current DOR form (mass.gov vs sec.state.ma.us). Inspection cost: the state brochure's $300/$500 figures are old (the same brochure lists the old tax credit).

Keep every certificate on time

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Questions landlords ask

Do Massachusetts landlords need a lead certificate?

Only when a child under 6 lives in a pre-1978 unit. Then you need a Letter of Full Compliance or a Letter of Interim Control. Every pre-1978 rental needs the Tenant Lead Law Notification signed before move-in regardless.

Does a Massachusetts Letter of Compliance expire?

No, as long as the unit stays in the condition the letter describes. If paint peels or coverings fail, the letter stops protecting you until a lead inspector confirms repairs. A Letter of Interim Control lasts 1 year and can be renewed once.

Can I refuse to rent to a family with a young child because of lead paint?

No. It is illegal discrimination under Massachusetts law, and evicting or not renewing a family to avoid deleading is also illegal. The fix is to get the unit into compliance.

What is the Massachusetts lead paint tax credit?

Up to $3,000 per unit for full deleading and up to $1,000 per unit for interim control (counted toward the $3,000), claimed on Schedule LP with the compliance letter attached. Inspector fees count toward the cost.

How much does a lead inspection cost in Massachusetts?

Inspectors set their own prices. Boston inspections average about $542 on Angi, and posted inspector prices run $450-$600 for the first unit plus $400-$500 per extra unit. Reinspection after deleading is a separate bill.

Last checked November 6, 2026. Law: M.G.L. c. 111, §§ 189A-199B; 105 CMR 460.000 (Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control). Agency: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP).

This page sums up published rules as of November 6, 2026. It is not legal advice, and myleadsafe is not a government site. Rules and fees change, and local offices add their own steps, so confirm with your town or city and the state agency before you rely on a date or a fee.

Sources (18)