Find resources for mold and moisture problems, indoor air quality, and fire safety tips.
Where do lead hazards come from?
A principal source of lead in the home is lead-based paint. Deteriorating paint, friction in sliding windows, lead on impact surfaces, as well as unsafe renovation practices can result in the accumulation of dust in the house and lead in the soil. The presence of deteriorating paint, lead-contaminated dust, and/or bare, lead-contaminated soil can result in significant lead-based paint hazards. According to a 1999 national survey of homes, 27 percent of all homes in the United States had significant lead-based paint (LBP) hazards.
Age of housing is also important and commonly used to estimate the risk of significant hazards in the home. Lead was banned from residential paint in 1978. The 1999 national survey found that 67% of housing built before 1940 had significant LBP hazards. This declined to 51% of houses built between 1940 and 1959, 10% of houses built between 1960 and 1977 and just 1% after that.
What kind of protections are there?
The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 seeks to identify and mitigate sources of lead in the home. A high level of lead in the blood is particularly toxic to children aged six and younger. Lead can damage the central nervous system, cause mental retardation, convulsions, and sometimes death. Even low levels of lead can result in lowered intelligence, reading and learning disabilities, decreased attention span, hyperactivity, and aggressive behavior.
EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. These activities can create hazardous lead dust when surfaces with lead paint, even from many decades ago, are disturbed. The rule requires workers to be certified and trained in the use of lead-safe work practices, and requires renovation, repair and painting firms to be EPA-certified. These requirements became fully effective April 22, 2010.
The Department of Commerce is an excellent resource for the RRP Rule, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.
If you have further questions about lead-based paint hazards within the City of Bellingham, contact the City’s Community Development Division.
Information and tips from the Northwest Clean Air Agency to help you keep your indoor air clean and healthy.
Tenants and landlords both have responsibilities for addressing water and moisture problems that can cause mold. Generally, fixing leaks is the landlord’s responsibility and reducing condensation is the renter’s responsibility.
More information can be found through the Washington State Department of Health.
Perhaps nothing is as devastating as fire out of control. Fire can kill, disable, and completely disrupt people’s lives. Fire can ruin businesses and destroy livelihoods. According to the US Fire Administration, 20 percent of fires in the United States occur in apartments.
Fire Safety Tips
These safety pages are provided to help equip you with the information you need to significantly reduce the possibility of fire occurring in your complex.
- Home Address Numbers – make sure we can find you in your time of need
- Alarm Systems
- Apartment Checklist
- Barbecue Grills
- Chemicals and Flammables Storage
- Combustibles Storage
- Community Safety Committee and Newsletter
- Conducting Property Inspections
- Cooking Inside Clubhouses and Recreational Areas
- Dumpsters
- Electrical
- Emergency Medical Services
- Emergency Preparedness from iPropertyManagment.com
- Exiting Systems
- Extinguishers
- Fire Lanes
- Heating and Ventilation (HVAC) Units
- Laundry Rooms
- Locks and Lock Boxes
- Pool Safety
- Propane and Natural Gas
- Sprinkler Systems
Working with the Fire Department
The information provided in this online manual, regarding fire and life safety, is intended to raise your awareness of safety issues and assist you in recognizing potential problems. To supplement the information in this manual, the Bellingham Fire Department is available for use in employee and tenant training. On-going education and training is essential.
As a manager or landlord, you have the ability to significantly reduce safety hazards by being observant and by following up on concerns forwarded to you by tenants.
Tenant Complaints
Occasionally complaints are received and evaluated by the Bellingham Fire Prevention Bureau. The first question asked is, “Have you notified your apartment manager or landlord?” If not, it is usually suggested they notify the manager prior to any intervention by the Bellingham Fire Department.
If fire department intervention occurs, an inspector will first discuss the concern with the manager and perform an inspection to evaluate the situation. If a problem exists, the inspector will then present recommended solutions to the manager and agree on a reasonable time frame for correction.
Manager Complaints/Landlord Complaints
If the tenant is maintaining an unsafe condition, the fire department, when requested by the manager or landlord, will determine if intervention is called for and the type of intervention necessary. Often, as a manager or landlord, the lease may allow you the ability to act on a problem, depending on the nature of the situation.
Resources
Filing a Complaint
In order for the City to process a complaint, a tenant must first notify their landlord of property issues according to the Washington State’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW 59.18). If your concerns about substandard conditions remain, submit a Code Enforcement Request.
Opportunity Council Weatherization and Home Repair
The OC supports improvements to home energy efficiency, durability, indoor air quality and health and safety concerns.
- Available for both homeowners and renters with landlord permission.
- 1-360-734-5121 ext. 1020
