Lead paint laws for landlords in Boston

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

Seriously? You don't think lead paint poisoning is a medical condition that should concern anyone?

You didn't answer the question.

Is it that Boston knows more than every other old city in the USA, and its lead paint laws are the model everyone else should be following, or maybe Boston overreacted. Kids in Philly, NY, Chicago, etc are all sick with lead poisoning, and only Boston kids are healthy?

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

You didn't answer the question.

Is it that Boston knows more than every other old city in the USA, and its lead paint laws are the model everyone else should be following, or maybe Boston overreacted. Kids in Philly, NY, Chicago, etc are all sick with lead poisoning, and only Boston kids are healthy?

I have no idea what's going on in NYC, Philly, Chicago, or any other city in the world as far as lead paint is concerned. For all I know, those cities are even more forward thinking and forced homeowners to delead decades ago.

All I know is that I have friends who are doctors that tell me lead paint poisoning is a horrible condition for children and I know some older guys in the construction industry who in the past inadvertently brought lead paint chips into their home from work and their kids got sick.

While adults can certainly make their own decisions and are free to smoke, drink, eat fatty meats, not exercise, or generally do what they want to their bodies children need some protection.

[kingeorge]

Children do need protection. All of us would agree on that.

We are in 2015, majority of our homes still have issues, and that is very telling. So far policies and laws have been failures. State cares about protecting children on paper, but does not care about financial burden and obstacles it created for MA residents to allow MA to become truly lead free environment, and not some expensive zero-sum legal game.

If you are renting with kids, lead it is huge deal, and "evil and greedy" landlord must delead, even if objectively kids are often not really in harm's way. But, it is a landlord's issue, and financial burden. State will help only in very, very low income cases.

Same concerned renters/parents then often go on to buy a home, most likely an older house which are unavoidable in our RE. Guess what? Every one of them has lead. Homes are sold often in bidding wars and without inspection or any lead contingency. MA homeowners, parents, re agents, state are all fine with it, since once you are not renting anymore, you are free to poison you kids as you see it fit?!

It always strucked me as double standard, and fertile ground for "do not ask and so not tell" mode of operation, that laws and RE agents happily perpetuate for decades now. Sellers disclosures are minimal, and they never know anything about anything, (and would not be held liable). Dare to ask about lead, and do much inspecting when buying right now.

Mike, how many homes did you recently sold or shown with lead being an "unknown" in the house? How many home owners really delead by the book? Why do we embrace such double standards if kid's health is at stake?

Majority of MA kids live with some level lead exposure. It is not just paint, but your water pipes, soil in your back yard etc...It is everywhere. And so are some other nasty polutants as well. Anyone feels toxic mold should be an issue too?

Changing windows, doors, and doing some common sense upkeep, painting, good hygiene, keeps most kids free from poisoning, and not because all home owners delead by the book, and none of the landlords do it.

Lead is not issue owners vs. landlords but in MA is only mentioned in this context. It is sad how much this issue is dumbed down, and most people have no knowledge, but fear. There are no honest discussions, and solutions about lead issues/pollution we all face.

If we really cared about kids, we would all be invested, and would made sure there are affordable, subsidized and even free options for years, and years now, and for everybody to delead, regardless if section 8 or not, middle class home-owners, landlords, rich folks.

Rather than spend on frivolous things or corruption, we would delead once and for all, and make this place better for all of our kids, not just kids of people who happen to rent.