Jamie Sternberg, Esq.
May 2019
Recent changes to Proposition 65’s safe harbor warning guidelines may impact residential landlords.
- Effective July 1, 2019, new Sections 25607.34 and 25607.35 will become effective. They require Proposition 65 warnings be provided to new tenants and other adult occupants (and again each year during the tenancy). The warnings must be in a specific format (which is new) and delivered in specific ways.
- Additionally, effective August 30, 2018, new warning signs were required to be posted in:
- enclosed parking facilities; and
- designated smoking areas. California residential landlords should discontinue Prop. 65 signage and/or lease language that they previously utilized, and instead follow the safe harbor warnings specified in the new safe harbor warning guidelines.
California residential landlords should discontinue Prop. 65 signage and/or lease language that they previously utilized, and instead follow the safe harbor warnings specified in the new safe harbor warning guidelines.
Background
California requires businesses with ten or more employees to warn employees and the public regarding potential exposures to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) maintains and updates a list of chemicals requiring warnings. There are hundreds of chemicals on the list, available at https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list. Some of the Prop. 65 chemicals are contained in items common in residential buildings, such as automotive exhaust, building materials, fireplaces, tobacco smoke, and vinyl miniblinds manufactured before 1997.
Violating businesses can be fined up to $2,500 per day per violation.
Additional Resources:
- For a consultation about Proposition 65, contact us at (800) 574-5587 or breginfo@kts-law.com. This service is provided on an hourly fee basis.
Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP is a full service real estate law firm representing residential and commercial property owners and managers. This article is for general information purposes only. While KTS provides clients with information on legislative changes, our courtesy notifications are not meant to be exhaustive and do not take the place of legislative services or membership in trade associations. Our legal alerts are provided on selected topics and should not be relied upon as a complete report of all new changes of local, state, and federal laws affecting property owners and managers. Laws may have changed since this article was published. Before acting, be sure to receive legal advice from our office. For contact information, please visit our website: www.kts-law.com. For past Legal Alerts, Questions & Answers and Legal Articles, please consult the resource section of our website.
© 2019 Kimball, Tirey and St. John LLP