Landlord will pay thousands for lead problems

A Connecticut property management company and several affiliated property owners in New Haven have agreed to pay a $32,000 fine for failing to inform tenants their apartments may contain lead-based paint. In addition, the landlords agreed to remove the lead paint at a cost of more than $400,000. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Renaissance Management Company Inc., BHP Associates Limited Partners, GAB Hill Limited Partners, Renaissance Hill and Beechwood Gardens violated the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act by failing to inform tenants that their homes may contain potentially dangerous levels of lead. The case is among more than 25 lead-related civil and criminal cases EPA New England has taken since launching an initiative to make sure landlords, property owners and property managers are complying with federal lead disclosure laws.