24 C.F.R. § 200.810

§ 200.810 Single family insurance and coinsurance. (24 CFR Part 200)

In Force
Verified 8/21/2026 · Next check 9/20/2026
effective 8/21/2026FederalAffordable Housing Programs

Operative Text

24 C.F.R. § 200.810
(a) General. (1) The requirements of this section apply to any one-to four-family dwelling which was constructed before 1978 and is the subject of an application for mortgage insurance under section 203(b) or other sections of the National Housing Act relating to the insurance or coinsurance of mortgages on one-to-four-family dwellings. Such other sections include:

(i) Section 244 (coinsurance);

(ii) Section 213 (cooperative housing insurance);

(iii) Section 220 (rehabilitation and neighborhood conservation housing insurance);

(iv) Section 221 (housing for moderate income and displaced families);

(v) Section 222 (mortgagor insurance for servicemen);

(vi) Section 809 (armed services housing for civilian employees);

(vii) Section 810 (armed services housing in impacted areas);

(viii) Section 234 (mortgage insurance for condominiums);

(ix) Section 235 (mortgage assistance payments for home ownership and project rehabilitation);

(x) Section 237 (special mortgage insurance for low and moderate income families); and

(xi) Section 240 (mortgage insurance on loans for purchase of fee simple title from lessors).

(2) [Reserved]

(3) Applications for insurance in connection with a refinancing transaction where an appraisal is not required under the applicable procedures established by the Commissioner are excluded from the coverage of this section. Any housing assisted under the programs set out in this section for which no new activity is applied for or required is not covered by this section.

(b) Appraisal. The appraiser shall, when appraising a dwelling constructed prior to 1978, inspect the dwelling for defective paint surfaces.

(c) Treatment of defective paint surfaces. For defective paint surfaces, treatment shall be provided to defective areas. Treatment of hazards shall consist of covering or removing defective paint surfaces. Covering may be accomplished by such means as adding a layer of wallboard to the wall surface. Depending on the wall condition, wallcoverings which are permanently attached may be used. Covering or replacing trim surfaces is also permitted. Paint removal may be accomplished by such methods as scraping, heat treatment (infra-red or coil type heat guns) or chemicals. Machine sanding and use of propane or gasoline torches (open-flame methods) are not permitted. Washing and repainting without thorough removal or covering does not constitute adequate treatment. In the case of defective paint spots, scraping and repainting the defective area is considered adequate treatment. Treatment of a defective paint surface is not required if such a surface is found to not be a lead-based paint surface by a lead-based paint inspector certified pursuant to procedures of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 40 CFR part 745.

(d) Home equity conversion mortgage insurance. The requirements of this section, as modified by the following sentence, apply to a dwelling which is the subject of an application for mortgage insurance under section 255 of the National Housing Act (home equity conversion insurance) unless the mortgagor provides the certification described in § 206.45(d) of this title. The defective paint surface may be treated after the mortgage is endorsed for insurance, provided that the defective paint surface is treated as expeditiously as possible in accordance with the repair work provisions contained in § 206.47 of this title.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Section 200.810 establishes lead-paint-related requirements for FHA mortgage insurance applications on one-to-four-family homes built before 1978, covering a broad range of National Housing Act programs including coinsurance, cooperative housing, and condominium mortgages. Under this rule, appraisers must inspect pre-1978 dwellings for defective paint surfaces, and any defective areas must be treated by covering or removing them using approved methods — machine sanding and open-flame torches are explicitly prohibited. Refinancing transactions that do not require an appraisal are carved out of the rule's coverage, and a separate pathway exists for home equity conversion mortgages under section 255, where treatment may occur after endorsement under certain conditions.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 4, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers seeking FHA-backed mortgage insurance on pre-1978 homes under § 200.810 generally ensure that any defective paint surfaces identified during the appraisal are addressed before closing, using only the approved treatment methods described in the regulation — such as covering with permanently attached wallboard or wallcoverings, or removing paint by scraping or approved heat and chemical methods. Compliant operators do not rely on simple washing and repainting as a substitute for thorough removal or covering, as § 200.810(c) explicitly states this is inadequate. Where a certified EPA lead-based paint inspector determines that a defective surface is not actually lead-based paint, documentation of that finding can support a determination that treatment is not required.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

For tenants or prospective buyers in homes built before 1978 that are being financed through FHA programs covered by § 200.810, this rule creates a framework requiring that defective paint surfaces be inspected and treated as part of the mortgage insurance process — a protection relevant to lead-paint exposure concerns. If a pre-1978 home is involved in an FHA transaction and defective paint surfaces were not properly addressed as required by § 200.810, that may be a basis for raising concerns with HUD or a local housing authority. Tenant-rights organizations and HUD's housing complaint resources can help individuals understand whether this provision applies to a particular transaction and what general enforcement options exist.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Aug 21, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 1437
Declaration of policy and public housing agency organization
§ 5.100
§ 5.100 Definitions.
§ 5.107
§ 5.107 Audit requirements for non-profit organizations.

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