One does not replace the other. A lead-safe certificate on your rental does not mean the trim a contractor is about to sand is lead-free.
Landlords: lead-safe or lead-free certificate
The City's rental license page says any property built before March 1978 must be certified lead-free or lead-safe; if it was built later, you file for an exemption instead. According to the Health Department's lead law FAQ:
Lead-safe means an EPA-certified lead dust sampling technician or a Pennsylvania-certified risk assessor checked that painted surfaces are intact and took interior dust wipes that came back below the hazard levels. It does not mean there is no lead paint in the building. Certificates completed since February 1, 2020 are good for four years.
Lead-free means a Pennsylvania-certified lead inspector or risk assessor found no lead-based paint under EPA/HUD standards. That certificate does not expire.
If the dust wipes fail, a certified RRP renovator has to correct the problem, and then the technician re-checks the surfaces and re-takes the wipes. Fresh paint on its own does not count as a fix.
The tenant gets a copy of the certificate, and you upload the certificate and dust wipe report to the City's Lead Certification Submission System, linked from its submission page.
A hardware-store test kit cannot get you a certificate. Keep the certificate and lab reports together; the next contractor who works on the unit will want to know what was actually tested.
Anyone hiring work in a pre-1978 home: the EPA rule
EPA says anyone paid to disturb paint in housing built before 1978 must be certified, including one-person businesses, and firms cannot advertise or do that work without firm certification. That covers painters, window installers, carpenters and electricians, not just lead abatement companies.
Small jobs can fall outside the rule: disturbing 6 square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside. Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered, whatever the size. The small-job limit is a legal threshold, not a sign that the dust is harmless.
Homeowners working on their own home are generally exempt. EPA's DIY guidance says that exemption does not apply if you rent out all or part of the home or buy, renovate and sell homes for profit.
What to ask a contractor before work starts
Is your firm EPA RRP certified, and who is the certified renovator on this job? Ask to see both certificates.
Will you assume the paint contains lead, or will a certified inspector or recognized lab test the surfaces you will disturb?
How will you contain dust, protect the HVAC vents and clean up, and how will you verify the cleanup?
Did I get the Renovate Right pamphlet? EPA's 2026 compliance guide says firms must hand it over before work begins (within 60 days of the start) and keep job records for three years.
Our contractor hiring checklist covers the rest of the vetting. Repainting outside this fall? See how long exterior paint needs before rain or cold, and you can request quotes on the painting services page.
Until a pro looks at it
Photograph peeling or damaged paint without touching it, and note which rooms and windows the job will involve. Do not scrape a sample, sand a test patch or open up a wall to investigate; that is how lead dust spreads. Keep children away from chipping paint and any work area. If you do any of the work yourself, EPA's DIY page covers plastic sheeting, sealing off vents and cleanup.
Check with L&I on whether the repair itself needs a building permit. Permits, contractor RRP certification and rental lead certification are three separate items.
Help from the City
The Health Department's Lead and Healthy Homes Program (7801 Essington Ave., 215-685-2788) works with owners, families and landlords. If a child's blood lead level tests at or above 3.5 µg/dL, it offers a free home visit from a health educator and a licensed lead inspector. Help paying for lead removal depends on income, family size and the size of the problem, so ask the program what you qualify for before you sign a repair contract.
Lead pipes are a different issue from lead paint; see how to find out if you have a lead service line.