What LL1 is.
Local Law 1 of 2004 — the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act — is the foundational NYC framework for lead-paint compliance in pre-1960 multi-family housing. It requires owners to annually investigate and address lead-paint hazards in apartments where children under six reside.
Who's covered.
- Owners of multiple dwellings (three or more units) constructed before 1960.
- Owners of two-family dwellings built pre-1960 if the owner does not occupy one of the units.
- Coverage attaches to units where a child under six resides for the annual investigation requirement; turnover and renovation triggers apply more broadly.
The annual program.
Three obligations form the core of LL1 compliance:
1. Annual investigation.
For every apartment where a child under six resides, the owner must conduct an annual visual investigation for lead-paint hazards — peeling paint, deteriorating paint, paint on chewable surfaces, and paint subject to friction or impact (window assemblies, door frames, stair treads). Hazards identified must be corrected using lead-safe work practices.
2. Turnover inspection.
On any turnover of a covered apartment, the owner must investigate and correct lead-paint hazards before re-occupancy.
3. Inquiry to identify covered units.
Annually, the owner must inquire of every tenant whether a child under six resides in the unit. Tenant responses (or absence of response) are documented in the building's lead file.
What HPD expects in your file.
An HPD inspector responding to a complaint or running a routine investigation will ask for the building's LL1 records. A defensible file includes:
- The annual tenant inquiry — copies of the notice sent, with delivery method.
- Inspection records for each covered unit, with dated photographs.
- Corrective action records — work performed, who performed it, dust-wipe clearance documentation where work was lead-disturbing.
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm credentials of any contractor used.
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm documentation for any contractor performing the work.
The LL31 overlay.
Local Law 31 of 2020 added a one-time XRF inspection of every pre-1960 dwelling unit by August 9, 2025 — regardless of whether a child under six resides. Owners who completed the LL31 program have, in effect, baseline data covering their entire pre-1960 stock; the LL1 annual program continues on top of that baseline.
The LL55 overlay.
Local Law 55 of 2018 added annual inspection for indoor allergen hazards (mold, mice, rats, cockroaches, dust mites) — a separate framework that runs alongside LL1.
If your LL1 program has gaps.
The cheapest path back to compliance is a building-wide baseline: a current inquiry round, an inspection of every covered unit, documented corrective action where needed, and an organized file. We assemble this for owners and managing agents as a stand-alone engagement.