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Note that this an archived page.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.