1.   And any asbestos found, he said, must be removed by a qualified asbestos abatement contractor.

2.   Cathleen Collela, chief executive officer of the Hazardous Elimination Corp., an asbestos abatement contractor in Farmingdale, Long Island, agreed.

3.   HUD, Housing and Urban Development sponsors a directory of qualified lead inspectors, risk assessors and lead abatements contractors.

4.   Lead paint should be removed only by a licensed abatement contractor, someone trained and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.