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Real estate and realtors
Home inspections and inspectors
Other tips about radon and real estate

Real estate and realtors

Most relocation companies currently operating in Tennessee require radon testing as part of the transaction. Since Tennessee has no specific laws that require use of radon resistant construction techniques, testing or mitigating in conjunction with real estate transfers, this creates special challenges for the consumer. Follow the tips on how to address radon issues during a real estate transfer to help reduce problems during the transaction.

Periodically, training courses are offered to Tennessee real estate agents. Continuing education units are available for the courses.

Home inspections and inspectors

Home inspectors may participate in the real estate transfer by conducting an inspection of the house. It will probably include a radon test and/or an inspection of the radon mitigation system.

Periodically, EPA's Southern Regional Radon Training Center offers training courses to Tennessee home inspectors. Continuing education units are available for the courses, as approved by the American Society of Home Inspectors and the National Environmental Health Association.

Currently, 95.5% of the relocation companies nationwide require radon testing and mitigation, if necessary, prior to completion of any real estate transaction. Here are some tips for addressing the concerns of radon during a real estate transaction in Tennessee.

Even if you are not going through a relocation company, radon is still an important issue. If you are buying or selling a home, it is important to check local laws on disclosing radon-testing results. Deciding who will test and/or mitigate before signing a contract is also a good idea. If you are selling a home, have it tested and mitigated before putting it on the market. This will be a good selling point. If you are buying a home, ask if it was built using Radon Resistant Construction. For more information about radon and real estate, see EPA's "Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon."

For more information about radon resistant new construction visit https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/construc.html

More information about Mitigation is contained in EPA's "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction." https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/pubs/consguid.html

Other tips about radon and real estate transactions in Tennessee

  • Education is the key. The realtor, buyer and seller need to have an understanding of radon and the implications it has on a real estate transaction.
  • There are no laws requiring testing or mitigation (fixing the problem) in Tennessee. All action is voluntary.
  • If the seller does not wish to mitigate the home, negotiated sharing of costs will often work to resolve the issue.
  • Radon does not have to be a deal breaker for realtors and sellers. Inform the buyer that radon is a significant problem in Tennessee and especially in middle and east Tennessee. It is not just this building that has radon. The buyer should understand this problem might be found in any area of Tennessee. Refer them to the radon zone map for Tennessee.
  • If you tested on your own, state that you cared enough about the safety of your family to test because radon is a very important health concern.
  • If testing has been conducted as part of a home inspection process, emphasize that radon has been found everywhere in the United State and is a significant problem in Tennessee.
  • Place positive emphasis on the fact that radon is a fixable problem. For the very moderate cost of about $800 to $2,000, mitigation is a permanent solution and requires virtually no maintenance.
  • If the home has been mitigated, state that you have taken necessary steps to protect your family and the new owners. Of homes tested for radon in Tennessee, only a small number are actually mitigated. This should be a positive selling point since your home is one of a small number of homes in Tennessee that has had the health hazard of radon addressed.
  • Provide a copy of the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon to all parties involved in the transaction. This document, along with the Citizens Guide to Radon, will help to answer many questions and concerns.
  • If the buyer is not informed about what radon is, the associated health risks, meaning of the test results, costs of mitigation, and other issues, answer these questions clearly, simply, honestly and accurately.
  • Always disclose radon test results accurately, if they are known. While there is no law in Tennessee that deals specifically with radon, there are several disclosure statutes that could be applied to radon. You could be held liable.
  • Be a good consumer. Use only trained and certified radon measurers and mitigators. There are no laws to protect you. Get as many bids as possible and make it competitive. Get it in writing and make sure you understand everything that is to be done. As with any type of project, use someone who guarantees their work.

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For more information about the Tennessee Radon Program, please contact Amy Inabinet at 615-687-7071 or Kathy Glapa at 615-253-8780 or 1-800-232-1139 or by email at [email protected]