Radon and Real Estate – What You Need to Know

Radon

Radon and Real Estate Transactions in Maine

If you are buying or selling a house in Maine,  you need to know about radon and real estate transactions in Maine. It is good to remember a few facts about testing for radon as part of real estate transactions.

If water or air has been tested for radon gas in the two years prior to the real estate transaction, the seller is required to disclose the test results to the buyer or potential buyer. Perhaps even more important, the buyer should have the water and air tested or re-tested as part of the home inspection by a person registered with the State of Maine. Re-testing ensures that the sampling and testing is done properly. Maine law requires that radon testing performed as part of a real estate transaction be conducted by a person registered to conduct radon testing with the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services (per Title 22, chapter 165).

The house tested positive – Now what do we do?

Radon is common in Maine. The average house has a radon gas concentration in the air that is greater than the EPA’s and State of Maine’s action level of 4.0 pCi/l. This means that radon is quite likely to come up during the transaction. It also means that walking away from the transaction is usually not the answer because the next house is likely to have a radon issue as well.

Radon is a serious issue that can be fixed. It is serious because it can cause lung cancer AND because it will be an issue for a future buyer if it is not fixed now. Quite often there are a few (or many!) issues that come up during a home inspection and these issues result in negotiations between the seller and buyer. The radon issue should be at the top of the list.

Air & Water Quality Inc. works with both buyers and sellers to take care of radon gas issues so that the closing can happen and the new homeowners can be safe from this hazard.

Radon Resources

Customer Reviews

Nothing makes us happier than serving our customers and helping them identify and solve their issues. We’re proud to have incredible reviews across Facebook, Google and the Better Business Bureau.