The bill amends Section 34-18-58 of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to establish a statewide mandatory rental registry for landlords leasing residential properties constructed prior to 1978. Landlords are required to register specific information with the Department of Health for the purposes of enforcing lead hazard mitigation laws and promoting lead safety. This information includes the landlord's name, business address or PO box, and the property manager's contact details. The registration must be completed no later than nine months following the effective date of the section.

The Department of Health is responsible for creating a publicly accessible online database containing certain registered information, while ensuring that the data is not shared with other governmental agencies. The bill does not include provisions for penalties for non-compliance with the registration requirements, nor does it establish a restricted receipt account for the collection of penalties.

Additionally, the bill removes previous provisions that prevented landlords from initiating eviction actions for nonpayment of rent unless they were compliant with the registration requirements. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2893: 34-18-58