{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-42-3271","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 42-3271","heading":"Lead plumbing tenant disclosure requirements.","body":"(a)\nThe owner of a dwelling unit shall provide a tenant, before the tenant is obligated under any contract to lease or renew the lease of the dwelling unit, the lead disclosure form provided by the Mayor pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, complete with any information that the owner knows about the following:\n(1)\nThe results of any lead tests conducted on the water supply of the property or dwelling unit;\n(2)\nLead-bearing plumbing, including a lead water service line serving the dwelling unit;\n(3)\nWhether the portion of the lead water service line on private property, and the portion of the lead water service line on public property, that serves the property in which the dwelling unit is located has been replaced, and if so, the date of the replacement;\n(4)\nCivil fines, penalties, and fees imposed on the owner as sanctions for any infraction of the provisions of this section; and\n(5)\nInclusion on the DC Water website as a property with lead water service lines.\n\n(b)\nIf the owner of the dwelling unit learns of the presence of lead-bearing plumbing or lead service lines serving a dwelling unit, the owner of the dwelling unit shall:\n(1)\nNotify the tenant of the presence of the lead-bearing plumbing or lead service lines within 48 hours after discovering its presence; and\n(2)\nProvide the tenant or owner-occupant with a completed disclosure form provided by the Mayor pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.\n\n(c)\nWithin 90 days after March 13, 2019, the Mayor shall make public a lead disclosure form, which shall include:\n(1)\nSpaces for owners to disclose the information required in subsection (a) of this section;\n(2)\nA lead-in-water warning statement that:\n(A)\nResidential dwellings built before 1986 are presumed to have lead service lines and lead-bearing plumbing;\n(B)\nLead service lines and lead-bearing plumbing are capable of releasing lead into water that can cause permanent health harm even when present in small amounts;\n(C)\nLead poisoning in young children may produce permanent neurological damage, learning disabilities, reduced intelligence quotient, behavioral problems, and impaired memory;\n(D)\nLead poisoning poses a particular risk to developing fetuses and pregnant women; and\n(E)\nTenants should consider obtaining a water filter that is certified by NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead removal and maintaining the water filter according to the manufacturer's instructions.\n\n(d)\nCivil infraction fines, penalties, and fees may be imposed as alternative sanctions for any infraction of the provisions of this section pursuant to Chapter 18 of Title 2. Adjudication of any infractions shall be pursuant to the Civil Infractions Act.\n\n(e)\nThe Mayor shall establish at least one method for a tenant to report violations of this section.\n\n(f)\nFor the purposes of this section, the term \"dwelling unit\" means a room or group of rooms that form a single independent habitable unit for permanent occupation by one or more individuals, that has living facilities with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, and sanitation. The term \"dwelling unit\" shall not include:\n(1)\nA unit within a hotel, motel, or seasonal or transient facility, unless such unit is or will be occupied by a person at risk for a period exceeding 30 days;\n(2)\nAn area within the dwelling unit that is secured and accessible only to authorized personnel; or\n(3)\nAn unoccupied dwelling unit that is to be demolished; provided, that the dwelling unit will remain unoccupied until demolition.","path":["Title 42. Real Property.","Chapter 32B. Lead Plumbing Disclosure Requirements by Dwelling Unit Owners."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/42-3271","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"37594c32906287156afc94ae895808071035d5529dcd5b8cff9903f9510c59b6","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-42-3255","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-42-3301"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}