https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:33:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550848 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:03:42 +0000 MrsLilybugg 550848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: @Foodnerd81: MA ladies! I'm from Boston too! I work downtown :) I live in Quincy and we haven't told our landlord we're expecting (16 wks pregnant). Initially when we viewed the apartment we asked the realtor if she knew if it was de-leaded, and she didn't. I'll have to look at our lease to see if they mention lead. I'm kind of afraid to bring up the subject, because we LOVE our apartment. It's actually a townhouse, and we share a yard with our neighbor who is almost never home. I hope he doesn't decide to not renew us in July - our due date. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550837 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:59:11 +0000 rachiecakes 550837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I hear ya! We wanted to find a bigger place since we're in a 700sf space right now that's getting smaller and smaller it seems. Every agent I spoke with didn't want to deal with us since we had an infant. We're still in the same space, not sure what to do. </p> <p>@plaidpants: @Foodnerd81: I'm on the Camb/Wtwn side of things </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550831 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:56:18 +0000 plaidpants 550831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Deleading does seem crazy difficult and expensive. Hopefully you can get your situation figured out if you want to stay there, or find a shiny new place if you decide to move! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550820 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:51:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 550820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: Yeah, we are in downtown Boston now, looking to move more to the outskirts but still in the city. So many lovely old buildings with issues, it seems! I've done way too much research on this in the last 3 months, including reading some landlords forum where other posters were recommending a landlord sell his rental unit rather than pay to delead it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550809 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:49:24 +0000 plaidpants 550809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: We bought a house last year and are doing a ton of renovations, so we've used a LOT of those lead tester strips. We have found some lead in our house which freaked me out, but it was built in the 1930s so it was bound to happen. They recommend that you paint over it, if you are already living there since removing it would be more toxic (lead dust everywhere). So we just have LO tested every six months vs. every year and hopefully keep her from eating any paint...it's harder than it sounds :) Not to be too nosey, but do you live in the Boston area? I'm on the North Shore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550785 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:42:23 +0000 Foodnerd81 550785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plaidpants: Yeah I've heard of that too-- the place being suddenly rented. I'm not showing enough that anyone would know we are having a baby but at the same time, I don't want to pull a bait and switch (young professional couple turns young couple with baby who needs a deleaded apt). </p> <p>We actually have to talk to our landlord soon about it, but I think I'm going to get those instant lead tester strips from Home Depot to start. I doubt there is lead in my building, but I also doubt it is certified to be deleaded.</p> <p>ETA: My building was built I think in the 1800s, but was majorly renovated and turned into condos probably in the last 20 years. So we did get the lead notification, but that just says the building was built pre-1978, not that there actually is lead present. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550774 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:38:47 +0000 plaidpants 550774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know much about when you are already living in the apartment, but I have a friend who had to find a new apartment with her baby in MA and it was a huge pain. Some landlords are real jerks. They would tell her the apartment was already rented if they found out she had kids (which is illegal). She ended up finding a nice, newish place to rent. It's so hard in MA, at least in our area, because all the houses are so old! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-550763 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:32:25 +0000 LindsayInNY 550763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here's some info:</p> <p><a href="http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/consumer/housing/tenant-and-landlord/landlord-rights.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/consumer/housing/tenant-and-landlord/landlord-rights.html</a></p> <p>In particular:<br /> Obligation to Delead The Apartment</p> <p>Whenever a child under the age of six (6) resides in residential premises containing unlawful levels of lead, you are obligated to properly remove the offending substances (M.G.L. c. 111, § 199(a)).</p> <p>You or your agent are required to give the Massachusetts Lead Law Notification form to tenants regarding the dangers of lead paint, and the requirement to remove lead paint where children under six (6) intend to reside.</p> <p>Also:<br /> <a href="http://www.attymangano.com/2011/11/02/lead-paint-landlord%E2%80%99s-duty/" rel="nofollow">http://www.attymangano.com/2011/11/02/lead-paint-landlord%E2%80%99s-duty/</a></p> <p>There should be some sort of certificate ensuring that the building has been de-leaded. I would ask your landlord or contact your local housing department. They're usually helpful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545969 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:06:01 +0000 eeh 545969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow. That sucks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545906 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:33:44 +0000 Foodnerd81 545906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I'm not even that worried about the actual lead paint-- that, I feel like I have control over, like I'll make sure any place we move to has no chipping paint, regardless of what type, etc. But the MA lead paint laws are really weird and now I'm worried about finding an apartment where it isn't an issue or if we decided to stay here, if our landlord would be required to do anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545903 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:30:37 +0000 Mrs. Pen 545903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I would be obsessed with it too!!! that's scary business :( We had to get C's lead levels tested when he was 9 months and even though it was within the "normal" range I was seriously wondering how in the heck did he ever even come in contact with it!! I couldn't imagine the levels if a baby was living in it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545899 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:27:37 +0000 Foodnerd81 545899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: @eeh: Yup, Mrs. Pen got it exactly-- even if I don't care about the lead, there are laws that say a landlord has to delead it if there is a child under 6 living there. And yeah, I'm obsessed with figuring out where we are going to live... sorry :-/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545886 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:17:27 +0000 Mrs. Pen 545886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@eeh: There is a law in MA (if I'm not mistaken) concerning children living in an apartment with lead paint. She has posted this before and it was interesting reading about the laws and how the landlords handle it (they prefer not to rent to families). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545878 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:10:14 +0000 eeh 545878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't understand why the lead would be MORE of an issue now that you're having a baby. Lead is lead regardless of someone's age so if it's a threat to kids it's also a threat to adults. I feel like that was just an excuse to make them pay for the de-leading. I would be pissed and want to see where it says that in my lease agreement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ma-moms-who-rent-any-landlord-issues#post-545834 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:44:11 +0000 Foodnerd81 545834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sorry-- another home question from this obsessed person. </p> <p>Moms who were renting in Mass when they got pregnant, did you have any issues with your landlord if you planned on staying? I've heard of people whose landlord basically said he HAD to delead the apartment, pay for them to stay in a hotel during the work, and would be passing on the cost to them in their rent. So he didn't 'discriminate' against them, but he did essentially force them out since they wouldn't pay the increased price for the apt. I haven't told our landlord that I'm pregnant yet and while we do plan to move, just wondering what to expect. </p> <p>That said, we have lived here for 3 years, I am not at all worried about lead in this place but it is an old building that was redone, and our landlord might be flaky but he has never ever been a jerk about anything. </p>