I'm worried about lead paint in my apartment.

Lead hazards aren't only "obvious peeling paint on a wall." The most dangerous spots are friction and impact surfaces — window troughs and tracks, door frames, the tops of doors, baseboards, stairs — because every time they rub or bang, microscopic lead dust ends up on the floor where children touch and ingest it. Photographing every location matters because each one is its own potential violation, and an HPD inspector won't always check what you don't point out.

1. Photograph every location of peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracked paint. Wide shots first to show the room, then close-ups of the damage. A close-up of paint chips is more useful than a long-shot of a wall.
2. Specifically check and photograph high-risk surfaces: window troughs (the channel the window sits in), window sills, door frames, the tops of doors, radiator covers, stair treads, and any place a moving part rubs against painted wood or metal. These are the most common sources of lead dust even when the rest of the apartment looks fine.
3. Include something for scale in close-ups. A coin, a ruler, or a phone in frame helps later when describing the affected area.
4. Note the location and date for each photo. Most phone cameras save this automatically, but write it down too: "Living room window trough, north wall, 2026-04-21." Specific is better than vague.
5. Photograph any paint chips on the floor or windowsills. Visible chips are evidence of an active hazard and are dangerous if you have a young child — clean the area carefully (damp paper towels, then bag and dispose) after photographing, and don't sweep or dry-vacuum, which spreads dust.
6. Save your apartment's annual lead-paint notice form. If you returned one to your landlord saying a child under 6 lives here, find that copy — it's powerful evidence the landlord knew and was required to investigate. If you never received an annual notice, that's also a violation.

All photos, your written notes, copies of any annual notice you returned, and your child's blood lead test results if you have them. Back everything up — email the files to yourself or save them to cloud storage. Don't risk losing them if your phone breaks.

Because someone in your household is a young child, pregnant, or already has an elevated blood lead level, this is the most powerful and urgent step you can take — even more important than filing your 311 complaint. A medical blood lead result doesn't just protect your family's health; it unlocks a faster, stronger enforcement pathway through NYC DOHMH that runs in parallel to HPD.

1. Call your child's pediatrician today. Under NY State Public Health Law, every child must have a blood lead level (BLL) test at age 1 and again at age 2. If your child is in that age range and hasn't been tested recently, ask for the test now. If your child is older and has never been tested, pediatricians will still run it on request — especially when you mention a lead concern in the apartment.
2. If you don't have a pediatrician, call 311 and ask for free child blood lead testing, or go to any NYC Health + Hospitals clinic. Testing is covered by all insurance, including Medicaid and CHIP, and the Health Department operates free testing sites for uninsured families.
3. For pregnant people, NY State requires your prenatal care provider to assess you for lead exposure risk at your first prenatal visit. If that assessment finds you at risk, a blood lead test is required. If it doesn't, a test isn't ordered automatically — but you can always request one, and providers will typically run it if you report known exposure or live in a pre-1978 building.
4. Keep the paper copy of the test result. Scan or photograph it. This becomes central evidence for everything else on this page, and you may be asked for it by HPD, DOHMH, Met Council, or a housing court judge.

Results usually come back within a few days. The lab will also report to NYC DOHMH automatically — you don't need to do anything extra.

If the result is below 3.5 µg/dL, your child is below NYC's action threshold today. That's a relief, but it doesn't mean the hazard in your apartment is fine — continue with the rest of this guide, because exposure accumulates and later results can rise.

If the result is 3.5 µg/dL or higher in a child under 18 or a pregnant person, DOHMH is required to respond. They will:

• Contact you to schedule a free environmental investigation of your apartment.
• Use an XRF analyzer to identify lead-based paint, and may collect dust wipes, soil, or water samples based on a risk assessment interview.
• If hazards are found, issue a Commissioner's Order to your landlord requiring trained professionals to fix the hazards using safe work practices and submit post-work clearance testing results to the City.
• Provide care coordination through a DOHMH nurse — identifying non-paint exposure sources (imported spices, cosmetics, pottery glazes), providing nutritional guidance (calcium and iron), and coordinating medical follow-up with your pediatrician or prenatal provider.
• If a pregnant person had an elevated level during pregnancy, coordinate testing for the baby at birth (umbilical cord or maternal blood) and on a specific schedule during the first year.

Once DOHMH is involved, continue with the rest of this guide — your 311/HPD path and the DOHMH path reinforce each other, and it's easier to get timely action when both are running.

Haven't tested yet and want the apartment inspected first? You can call 311 and ask for the Healthy Homes Program to report a suspected lead hazard and request an inspection directly — no blood test required.

Most landlords will respond to a clear written complaint that names Local Law 1, because they know it's one of the most heavily enforced housing laws in NYC. Even if they don't respond, this letter creates the paper trail you need for everything that comes next. A text or a verbal complaint to your super is not enough — it has to be in writing, and you need a copy.

1. Write a short, factual message. Email is fine. If you don't have an email for them, send a letter by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt — a few dollars, but proof they received it.
2. Be specific about every location with peeling, chipping, or chalking paint, and especially mention any high-risk surfaces (window troughs, door frames)
3. If a child under 6 lives in or regularly visits your apartment, say so explicitly — this triggers the strongest legal protections.
4. If you returned an annual notice form, mention it (with the date). It's evidence the landlord already knew.
5. Keep a copy of what you sent and any response.
6. Attach photos if you're sending email.

A responsive landlord will acknowledge your message within a few days and arrange to inspect using lead-safe techniques. What to watch out for: a landlord who promises to "have the super come repaint" or "scrape and prime" the affected areas. That's not lead-safe remediation — and in a pre-1960 building it's actually illegal under Local Law 31. If your landlord proposes any DIY scraping, sanding, or repainting, push back in writing and ask which certified lead-safe contractor will do the work. If they refuse or stop responding, move to the 311 complaint step below.

A 311 complaint triggers an HPD inspection. The inspector will look for peeling paint, test surfaces with an XRF lead detector if a child under 6 lives there, and classify the violation — starting the legal clock on your landlord. This is also where you can request the DOHMH environmental investigation if your child has been tested and has an elevated blood lead level.

• By phone: Call 311. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use TTY at (212) 504-4115
• Online: Go to portal.311.nyc.gov and search for "lead paint" or "peeling paint."
• Mobile app: Download the NYC 311 app (iOS or Android). The app lets you upload your photos directly.

• HPD will attempt to contact your landlord first to give them a chance to fix the problem.
• If the problem isn't fixed, HPD sends an inspector to check for peeling paint and (if a child under 6 lives there) test surfaces with an XRF lead detector.
• Once a violation is issued, your landlord has 21 days for Class C (lead hazard with child under 6), 30 days for Class B (peeling paint without child under 6), or 90 days for Class A.
• If you also requested a DOHMH inspection (because of an elevated blood lead level), DOHMH will conduct a separate, more thorough environmental investigation that includes paint, dust, soil, and water testing.

You need to know whether HPD has actually inspected, what class of violation was issued, and whether your landlord is on track to fix it within the legal time frame. This is also the moment to escalate if things aren't moving.

1. Go to HPDOnline and enter your building's address.
2. Look for open lead-paint violations. Common HPD language includes "abate the lead-based paint hazard," "remove or cover with paint or other suitable material," or violations citing §§ 27-2056.x.
3. Note the violation number, date issued, and class (A, B, or C). The class tells you how many days your landlord has.
4. Save a screenshot or print the page.

Violations typically appear online within a few days of the inspection. If your complaint doesn't show up at all, the inspection may not have happened yet, or the inspector didn't find a violation — in which case, call 311 again and request another inspection.

Important: Lead remediation requires both physical work and verification testing. If your landlord "certifies" they fixed the hazard, HPD generally requires a follow-up inspection with dust wipe sampling. If you can still see peeling paint, or the work was done by an unqualified person, you can challenge the certification — HPD will re-inspect and, if the condition still exists, the violation will be upgraded.

By this point, you've given your landlord multiple chances and the city has been involved. If the lead hazard hasn't been properly remediated, you have stronger options — but most involve legal or advocacy help, and you shouldn't try them alone.

Free, staffed by trained volunteers, and the best starting point for figuring out what to do next.

• Phone: 212-979-0611
• Hours: Mon & Wed 1:30–8 PM, Fri 1:30–5 PM.
• Heads up: The hotline is very busy — call after 4 PM if you can, and avoid Mondays.

A legal proceeding asking a judge to order your landlord to remediate the lead hazard properly. You can file one yourself or with help from a free legal services organization. An HP Action can result in a court order forcing the landlord to do certified lead-safe remediation, plus fines if they ignore the order. For lead specifically, a court is often the only path that produces remediation done by qualified contractors with proper post-work clearance testing.

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR) can order a rent reduction when essential services aren't provided. Use Form RA-81 for an individual apartment or Form RA-84 for a building-wide issue. Call DHCR at 833-499-0343 for forms.

NYC's Right to Counsel program provides free lawyers to low-income tenants facing housing issues. The Met Council hotline (option A) can help you figure out if you qualify.