Lead Inspection Services

01/31/2023

What are the symptoms of lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning affects young children and pregnant women most severely, and the damage can last the rest of that person’s life. There is no cure for lead poisoning, though some treatment options are available. If you suspect you or your child is suffering from lead poisoning, consult your doctor immediately and request a test. The Toledo Lucas County Health Department also performs lead testing in our community.

Ohio law requires all children age 6 and under in high-risk zip codes, which cover all of Toledo, to be tested for lead poisoning. Most lead poisoning goes undetected and untreated because a person is asymptomatic or symptoms are attributed to other causes. Therefore, the best way to know if you or your child is lead poisoned is to get a test. There is no safe level of lead in the bloodstream.

Possible Signs and Symptoms in Children:

Developmental delay
Learning difficulties
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Sluggishness and fatigue
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Constipation
Hearing loss
Seizures
Eating things, such as paint chips, that aren’t food (pica)

01/28/2023

What qualifies as Residential Rental Property?

Under the City’s ordinance, “Residential Rental Property” means any part of a structure being used or occupied as a private residence, including attached structures such as porches or stoops, occupied by any person or persons other than the property owner and/or members of the owner’s “Immediate Family” regardless of whether or not the owner occupies another portion of the structure.

What qualifies as Immediate Family?

Under the City’s ordinance, “Immediate Family” includes father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepmother, stepfather, grandmother, grandfather, and grandchild.

01/28/2023

Do Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) properties need certified?

Yes. Under the current ordinance, HCV (formerly known as Section 8) rental units must also pass a Local Lead Inspection and receive a lead-safe certificate. The City of Toledo is working with Lucas Metropolitan Housing to streamline this process for HCV rental owners who need additional help getting these inspections done.

01/28/2023

What are the current dust levels?

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) sets the levels for Lead Dust Clearance. For the City of Toledo’s Lead Safety Ordinance, in order to receive your certificate, you must pass a visual and dust wipe inspection at or below these levels. This inspection must be performed by a local lead inspector (licensed by Ohio as a Clearance Technician, Lead Inspector, or Risk Assessor) who is registered with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. You can find a list of current inspectors on our website.

ODH Lead Dust Clearance Levels: (as of 01/03/2021)
Floors – 10 micrograms/ft2
Windowsills – 100 micrograms/ft2
Window Troughs – 100 micrograms/ft2
Exterior Living Area – 40 micrograms/ft2

01/27/2023

Visit Toledo Lead safe.com for information regarding Toledo Lead Ordinance

Independent professional Lead exposure, as small as a single grain of sugar per day, can lead to traumatic health outcomes for children and families. News Help for Residents is here!

01/27/2023

What if I just purchased a property that isn’t certified?

Rental properties or family childcare homes that are not yet certified and past their phase-in deadline must have their lead-safe certificate before they are occupied by a tenant or used as an in-home daycare, respectively. Violations of this law will be enforced under the City of Toledo’s nuisance housing code.

You can check a property’s current Lead-Safe Certificate status and phase-in deadline on our Lead-Safe Map.

If the rental property is currently occupied when you purchase it, we recommend you get your lead-safe certification as soon as possible to avoid fines and penalties.

01/27/2023

Why do we need dust wipes?

We know that the majority of lead poisoning occurs in homes built before 1978 from the ingestion of lead-based paint and the consumption of lead dust. Visual inspection alone cannot tell us if this granular level of lead dust is present; dust wipe analysis is recognized by health departments across the country and the EPA to determine lead-dust levels. Dust wipes are currently our best available scientific tool for the measurement and enforcement of lead safety.

01/26/2023

Link to Lead Safe Certificate Application.

Lead-Safe Certificate Application PLEASE READ FIRST If your rental unit has passed inspection by a Local Lead Inspector, then you may apply for your Lead-Safe Certificate from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department online by using this form and paying the fee with your credit card. The Lead-Safe....

01/25/2023

What are rental owners supposed to do under the ordinance?

Owners of all residential rental properties in Lucas County must register with the Auditor. Compliance for the rental registry portion will begin enforcement in Toledo on June 30th, 2021(contact County for latest deadlines)

Owners of 1-4 unit properties built before 1978 must also get a Lead-Safe Certificate from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. Those who operate family childcare homes (e.g. in-home daycares) also need a lead-safe certificate but do not need to register with the Auditor’s rental registry.
Housing Choice Voucher (formerly Section 8) properties are not exempt and must get a Lead-Safe Certificate.
Applications for the Lead-Safe Certificate require a lead-safe report (e.g. clearance report) and a $25 fee and may be completed entirely online.

Those owners who received a lead-safe certificate or a clearance inspection under previous ordinance versions are grandfathered automatically and do not need to repeat work already done in good faith or submit a new application.
Qualifying properties must pass a visual and dust wipe inspection performed by a local lead inspector. The certificate is valid for 5 years. Fully abated properties are eligible for a 20-year certificate with proper documentation.
The City of Toledo will coordinate the program and wraparound services with the Lead Safe Coordinator.

After the first compliance date (June 30th, 2022 for the most at-risk census tracts), the Division of Code Enforcement will enforce the lead ordinance under the current nuisance housing code.

01/25/2023

Updates on Toledo Lead Ordinance

Toledo City Council declared lead exposure a public health emergency.

01/24/2022

Apply For Your Lead-Safe Certificate Today!

As an owner of a 1-4-unit residential rental property or family childcare home in Toledo, Ohio, you are required to have your property inspected and certified lead-safe under TMC 1760 “Residential Rental Properties and Lead Safety Compliance” also known as the Toledo Lead Ordinance. Phase 2 Properties are due December 31, 2022! Call us today! (866)665-3230

01/24/2022

Map of the City of Toledo with color-coded areas and matching dates
Deadline: Phase 1 Properties

June 30

1-4-unit residential rental properties and family childcare homes built before 1978 in the following Census Tracts must comply with the lead ordinance by June 30, 2022:

Census Tract 2, Census Tract 4, Census Tract 6, Census Tract 7, Census Tract 8, Census Tract 9, Census Tract 10, Census Tract 14, Census Tract 16, Census Tract 17, Census Tract 18