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Residential Environmental Hazards:
A Guide for Homeowners, Homebuyers, Landlords and Tenants

This publication is designed to provide information about some environmental hazards that may be found on or in residential property.

In California, sellers are required to disclose the presence of any known environmental hazard. A statement that the homeowner is unaware of environmental hazards is not a guarantee that the property is free of such hazards.

It is in the homeowner’s and prospective homeowner’s interest to know what hazards are common, where they are found, and how they might be mitigated. This booklet will provide homeowners and prospective homeowners with the information and additional resources needed to make an informed decision about environmental hazards that may be present on a property.  Environment_Hazards_Guide

Was Your House Built Before 1978?
Under the Protection from Lead law, before finalizing a contract for the sale or lease of housing built before 1978:

• Sellers, landlords or their agents must disclose known information regarding lead-based paint hazards in the housing including copies of any inspection reports;
• Sellers, landlords or their agents must provide purchasers and renters with an EPA pamphlet titled “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home”;
• Purchasers have ten days to inspect or test for lead hazards.* This time period may be shortened or lengthened by mutual agreement; and
• Sales contracts and leasing agreements must contain disclosure statements. Signed copies must be kept for three years.  Lead_Booklet

What type of homes does this law apply to?

This law applies to most private housing, public housing and housing that is Federally owned or funded. The law does not apply to the following kinds of residential properties:

• Housing built after 1977.
• “Zero-bedroom” dwellings such as studios, dormitories, lofts, etc.
• Properties leased for 100 days or fewer, such as vacation homes and short term rentals.
• Housing for the elderly or handicapped (unless children live there).
• Rental housing that has been inspected by a certified inspector and found to be free of lead-based paint. (Lead-based paint is paint that contains 1.0 mg/cm2 or (0.5% by weight) or more lead.)
• Foreclosure sales.

The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

This Booklet:

• Describes the most common weaknesses that can cause damage to homes, in the event of an earthquake.
• Enables the seller to meet the State Law requiring this booklet be given to every buyer of homes built before 1960.
• Enables the seller to disclose to the buyer the typical earthquake weaknesses in homes built before 1960.
• Provides the homeowner with basic information about finding and fixing earthquake-related weaknesses in the home.
• Provides general information about earthquake risks and directions for finding more information on earthquake safety.    Earthquake_Safety Residential     

California State Law requires the seller to:

• Inform the buyer about known home weaknesses.
• Strap the water heater, reducing the chance of it falling during an earthquake and possibly causing gas and water lines to break.
• Deliver a copy of this booklet to the buyer if the home was built before 1960 (Your real estate agent is required to give the seller a copy of this booklet).
• Deliver to buyers a Natural Hazards Disclosure form. The disclosure will tell buyers whether the home is in an Earthquake Fault Zone or in a Seismic Hazard Zone.
• Complete the Residential Earthquake Hazards Report, to be provided to the buyer.

California State Law does NOT require the seller to:

• Hire someone to evaluate your home.
• Strengthen your home before selling it.

The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

Delivering this guide
Sellers of homes built before 1960, with one to four units of conventional light-frame construction, must deliver to the buyer, “as soon as practicable before the transfer,” a copy of The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety (this booklet) and disclose certain earthquake deficiencies according to Government Code, Section 8897.1 to 8897.4. The seller’s real estate agent must provide the seller with a copy of this booklet to give to the buyer. This is also specified in Government Code, Section 8897.5.

Excerpted from: The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety Published by The California Seismic Safety Commission State of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor SSC No. 05-01 2005 Edition

Do you have a question about San Francisco Bay Area real estate or manufactured homes?   Please feel free to send me a note on the contact form or give me a call on my cell phone: 510-589-4794.

Thanks,
Joanne
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Joanne L. Gardiner, Broker, e-PRO Realtor®
California Department of Real Estate Brokers License Number: 00822285
California Department of Housing and Community Development Occupational License Number:  SP1178511