The Department of Health is required to perform inspections and to order the correction of hazardous lead based paint conditions found within dwellings within the City of New York.  The City’s Administrative Code provides:

a. When entering a dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling constructed prior to January 1, 1960 for the purpose of investigating the existence of any violation of this code, the department shall make diligent efforts to ascertain whether a child of applicable age resides therein and shall request from the occupant an acknowledgement as to whether such a child resides in the dwelling unit. Whenever a child of applicable age resides in a dwelling unit, the department shall immediately perform a room-by-room inspection of the dwelling unit and record for each room in a report of such inspection whether the paint or other similar surface-coating material in each room is peeling or intact. For each room where peeling paint is found, the department shall also inspect for evidence of an underlying defect and shall indicate on the inspection report the peeling paint’s location within the room, the condition of the subsurface below it, and the location of any underlying defect. When performing such inspection, the department need only inspect those portions of the dwelling unit where furniture or other furnishings do not obstruct the view of a surface, except when there is visible evidence that causes the department to believe that the obstructed surface has peeling paint. Where, upon conducting an inspection, the department determines the existence of a condition constituting a violation of this article, the department shall serve a notice of violation within ten additional days.

b. In any dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling erected prior to January 1, 1960 where a child of applicable age resides, the department shall conduct an inspection pursuant to subdivision a of this section no later than ten days after the department’s receipt of a complaint describing peeling paint, or a deteriorated subsurface or underlying defect in the dwelling unit. The department shall make diligent efforts to ascertain whether a child of applicable age resides therein. Where the department attempts to perform an inspection of a dwelling unit within the time period required by this subdivision but is unable to gain access, the department shall be required to make a reasonable attempt to gain access to such dwelling unit within five days of such attempt. If the department is unable to gain access to that dwelling unit during this additional time period, the department shall provide written notice to the occupant of such dwelling unit that no further attempts at access shall be made unless a new complaint is submitted.

c. Each inspector who performs an inspection pursuant to subdivision b of this section shall use an x-ray fluorescence analyzer during the course of that inspection to determine whether lead-based paint is present in such dwelling unit except that, for reasons beyond the control of the department, such x-ray fluorescence analysis is unable to be performed during such inspection, the department shall rely on the presumption set forth in subdivision a of section 27-2056.5 of this article. Where peeling paint is found during an inspection of a dwelling unit performed pursuant to subdivision a of this section, the department shall within ten days thereafter perform another inspection of such dwelling unit using an x-ray fluorescence analyzer to determine whether lead-based paint is present in such dwelling unit. Where, upon conducting an inspection, the department determines the existence of a condition constituting a violation of this article, the department shall serve a notice of violation within ten additional days.

d. The pamphlet developed by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to section 17-179 of this code shall be left at the premises of the dwelling unit at the time of an inspection made by the department pursuant to this section.

e. The department shall develop a pamphlet listing the work practices to be established pursuant to section 27-2056.11 of this article. Such pamphlet shall be delivered by the department in conjunction with all notices of violation issued pursuant to paragraph one of subdivision l of section 27-2115 of this code. Failure to include such pamphlet with such notices of violation shall not render null and void the service of such notices of violation. Such pamphlet shall also be made available to any member of the public upon request.

f. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, failure by the department or the department of health and mental hygiene to comply with any time period provided in this article or section 27-2115 of this chapter relating to responsibilities of the department and the department of health and mental hygiene, shall not render null and void any notice of violation issued by the department or the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to such article or section, and shall not provide a basis for defense or mitigation of an owner’s liability for civil penalties for violation of such article.

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