Rental housing makes up around one-third of the nation’s housing, and states have an important role to play in establishing minimum standards of habitability and safety. This report discusses legal and policy tools for addressing an important indoor hazard in rental housing: radon gas. Indoor exposure to radon is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S., and elevated radon levels have been found in every state.
The report describes a two-pronged policy approach to reducing radon risks in rental housing: (1) adopting legal requirements for radon disclosure/notification, testing, and mitigation in the leasing, transfer, and construction of residential rental properties; and (2) creating new financial assistance programs or leveraging existing programs to fund radon testing and mitigation in affordable rental properties.
In 1994, there were few if any policies directly addressing the problem of radon exposure in rental housing. A small number of states have since adopted laws to tackle this problem, but there remains a pressing need for stronger policy approaches to reducing radon risks for people who rent their homes.
Explore other materials from ELI’s Indoor Environments Program.
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