State guide
Tennessee
Tennessee runs its own EPA-authorized lead-based paint abatement program through TDEC, but Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) remains federally administered by EPA. On the official Tennessee pages reviewed, I found state certification for lead-based paint activities and a Knoxville city grant/registry program, but no statewide rental lead-safe certificate or rental lead registration mandate.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State lead program
- TDEC's Division of Land Protection - Waste Management Branch runs Tennessee's EPA-authorized lead-based paint abatement program.
- Rental lead-safe requirements
- I did not find an official Tennessee statewide rental lead-safe certificate, rental lead registration, or periodic rental lead inspection requirement; Knoxville instead has a grant-funded Lead-Safe Housing Registry.
- Certified lead inspector and risk assessor lookup
- Official page →
- Renovation (RRP) program
- EPA
- Disclosure
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
Official resources in Tennessee
Official Tennessee public license lookup referenced by the state for verifying regulated individuals and businesses.
State healthy homes page with renter guidance and housing-health information, including lead-related content.
City of Knoxville page for its lead hazard control grant program and local lead-safe housing registry.
Key facts for Tennessee
- Tennessee's lead-based paint abatement rule chapter 0400-13-01 became effective June 5, 2024.
- The Tennessee lead hazard program became an EPA-authorized program on January 17, 2001.
- TDEC says lead-based paint activities in target housing and child-occupied facilities must be conducted by TDEC-certified firms and individuals.
- EPA, not Tennessee, administers RRP in Tennessee; Utah is listed among authorized RRP states, but Tennessee is not.
- Knoxville rental units can receive local lead-safe grant assistance, and landlords must give priority to families with children under 6 for 3 years after abatement.
- Knoxville maintains a Lead-Safe Housing Registry for units made lead-safe through its program.
Local rental lead ordinances in Tennessee
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program | Nashville | (615) 253-0005 | Tennessee Department of Health contact for childhood lead poisoning prevention. |
| Knoxville Lead-Safe & Healthy Homes Program Knox | Knoxville | 865-244-3080 | Local grant program for pre-1978 owner-occupied and rental homes; keeps a lead-safe housing registry. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Verify any Tennessee inspector, risk assessor, supervisor, or firm in the state public license search before hiring.
- If the rental is in Knoxville and built before 1978, ask whether it appears in the Knoxville Lead-Safe Housing Registry.
- For renovation work in pre-1978 rentals, confirm the contractor also holds current EPA RRP credentials, not just Tennessee abatement credentials.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Tennessee's population center, for comparison only):
- Kentucky Environmental Lead Program, Kentucky · about 149 miles
- Kentucky Environmental Lead Program, Kentucky · about 149 miles
- Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Kentucky · about 149 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Tennessee Department of Health Healthy Homes
Website →Phone: (800) 222-1222 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Tennessee page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.