Laws, Rules, and Codes for Healthier Homes

Note that this an archived page. The information has not been updated recently.

We’ve compiled a table of approaches impacting existing homes.

Table: Comparison of Regulatory Approaches to Healthy Homes

	Housing/Property Maintenance Code	Healthy/ Sanitation Code	Landlord/Tenant Law	Product Standards	Hazard Management Law
National Requirements	Yes, for federally assisted housing. No: for other housing.	No.	Lead disclosure and fair housing.	Yes, for specific products and general standards.	Yes, for specific hazards such as pesticides, lead, and asbestos.
State Requirements	Several states.	Several states.	Most states.	Yes, for pesticides. All must be consistent with federal requirements.	Yes (generally), for specific hazards in addition to federal such as carbon monoxide and radon.
Local Requirements	Common, except in rural areas.	Common, but limited scope.	Common in large urban areas.	Uncommon.	Larger community for specific hazards in addition to federal and state.
Current National Models	Yes, International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC).	No.	Yes, Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA).	Industry Consensus Standards	Federal government and some associations issue guidelines to address specific hazards.
For More Information	Housing Quality Standards. IPMC.	American Public Health Association’s 1938 Principles	URLTA.	Product Standards.	Hazard Management Standards; EPA’s RRP Rule.