How To Handle Radon If You Are Renting

Radon/Renting - Nearly 30% of households in Utah are renting homes and apartments.  Many of those homes and apartment buildings are located in areas that have unsafe high radon levels.  According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, 1 in 3 homes in Utah has unsafe levels of radon.  The EPA states that 4.0 pCi/L is considered unsafe and should have radon mitigation to reduce the radon level.   Because Utah has such high radon levels, we encourage renters to order a free radon test from Utah Radon Services.

Why should you order a test?

An unsafe level of radon of 4.0 pCi/L is the same risk to lung cancer as a person smoking 8 cigarettes per day.  It's also the equivalent risk of receiving 200 chest x-rays per year.  Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.  Because you can't see or smell radon, there is no way to detect it without doing a radon test.

What To Do If Your Radon Level Is High?

We encourage you to discuss your radon test results with the property manager.  There are funds available to reduce high radon levels.  There are federal programs that might be used to help fund radon reduction in homes that are affordable to certain situations.  

The EPA has a Renter's Radon Checklist that states...

• Find out whether the building you live in has been tested for radon.
• If your building has not been tested for radon, ask the building owner to test, or test your own apartment or house.
• Follow the instructions included in your radon test kit. If your short-term test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, the EPA strongly recommends radon mitigation.
• If your test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, notify the building owner of the test results in writing. Discuss with the owner the need for additional testing and radon reduction repairs.
• If you have high radon levels or if you need additional information and assistance about radon testing and radon repairs, contact your state radon office, the National Radon Helpline, or other organizations that work on radon or housing issues.

If you are renting and have questions concerning testing or radon mitigation, please feel free to contact us at 801.871.0715.