Short answer: the property owner. Here's what that covers and what you can't pass to the tenant.
Last updated September 7, 2026
When a rental needs a lead-safe certificate, one of the first questions landlords ask is who foots the bill. In New Jersey the answer is clear.
Under the state's rental lead law, getting the unit inspected and certified is the owner's responsibility. That covers the inspector's fee and the flat $20-per-unit state fee that funds the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act. You can't bill the state fee to the tenant as a separate charge.
If the inspection finds a lead hazard, correcting it is also the owner's responsibility. The good news is that many well-maintained pre-1978 units pass a visual assessment with no work needed, so remediation is the exception, not the rule.
Over time, compliance costs are just part of operating a rental, the same as any other maintenance. What you can't do is add the inspection or the state fee to a tenant's bill as a one-off pass-through. Treat it as an ownership cost and plan for the three-year cycle.
If you own a multi-family building, inspectors usually price per unit with a volume discount, so the per-door cost is lower than booking single-family visits one at a time.
We connect New Jersey landlords with certified lead evaluation contractors, usually the same day.
Call (973) 547-1863Free to use. You only pay the inspector, at the price they quote up front.