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Portfolios · Multiple Buildings · Owner & Lender Documentation

Radon Testing for Property Managers in Georgia

One tenant question can put an owner on notice across a portfolio. A consistent testing program covers every building the same way, with minimal tenant disruption and reports ready for owners, lenders, and boards.

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Radon across a managed portfolio, plain English

Property managers rarely deal with radon one building at a time. A tenant or a parent asks, an owner or lender requires it at acquisition or refinance, or an owner simply wants documentation on file. Whatever the trigger, the manager is the one who has to coordinate access, notify tenants, schedule the work, and hand a clean report to the owner.

The sections below cover why radon comes up for property managers, how a portfolio testing program is run across multiple buildings and unit types, what consistent documentation looks like, how recurring retest cycles work, and how EraseRadon supports managers as an ongoing partner rather than a one-off vendor.

Why radon comes up for property managers

A handful of situations cover almost every radon inquiry a manager fields. None of them require panic. All of them have a defensible answer that ends with a documented test and, if needed, a working mitigation system.

A tenant or parent asked

A resident wrote in, or a parent of a tenant raised the question, and now the owner is on notice at one property. Across a managed portfolio one inquiry can quickly become a pattern: if one building gets the question, the others usually follow. A documented test is the defensible response and keeps a single email from turning into an open-ended liability.

Owner or lender requirement

An owner is acquiring or refinancing a property in the portfolio and the lender or environmental consultant added radon to the scope. The manager coordinates access, tenant notice, and scheduling so the test lands inside the deal timeline without slowing the closing.

Multiple buildings, multiple unit types

A portfolio is rarely one building type. Garden-style apartments, mid-rise units, townhomes, and mixed-use ground floors each contact soil gas differently. A program built once and applied across the portfolio is more defensible and less expensive per building than treating every property as a one-off emergency.

Consistency for owners and boards

Different owners, HOA boards, and asset managers all want to see the same thing: a clear test, clear conditions, a clear recommendation. When every building in a portfolio is tested and reported the same way, the manager can answer any owner or board question from a single, consistent file instead of chasing down inconsistent one-off reports.

How a portfolio testing program works

Running radon as a program rather than a series of emergencies is what makes it manageable across a portfolio. Testing is scheduled across buildings, tenants get a heads-up, the work runs under controlled conditions, and every property is reported in the same defensible format.

The building and unit list is built collaboratively with the manager. Two to four days of device exposure per building, then lab time. Most buildings move from kickoff to report in two to three weeks.

Property management conference room

Scheduling across buildings

Testing is sequenced across the portfolio so it does not all land at once. Buildings are grouped by location, slab type, and access so site visits are efficient. Short-term tests run 48 to 96 hours per building with HVAC in normal mode and the building closed during the test window. The schedule is built around the manager calendar, not against it.

Minimal tenant disruption

The device is a small disc or canister that sits on a counter or shelf for two to four days. Residents continue normal life. A short notice goes out before each test with simple instructions: do not move the device, keep windows closed during the test. A notification template using owner-friendly language comes with the plan, ready to drop into a standard resident-notice format.

Defensible reports

Each building gets a report with a unit list, device serial numbers, raw data, weather conditions, a narrative interpretation, and a recommendation. The package is built to hand to an owner, lender, attorney, or HOA board without follow-up questions, and it reads the same way for every property in the portfolio.

Consistent documentation

Across a portfolio, consistency is the point. Every building is tested to the same protocol and reported in the same format, so the manager holds one coherent set of records instead of a folder of mismatched results. When an owner, buyer, or board asks about any property, the answer is already on file.

An ongoing partner, not a one-off vendor

Radon is not a one-time number. Readings can shift over time, owners re-test on multi-year cycles, and new acquisitions keep joining the portfolio. The most useful relationship for a manager is one partner who already knows the building stock and keeps the records current.

Testing, documentation, scheduled retests, support for owner and board questions, and mitigation when a reading is confirmed all run through a single point of contact.

Bright property management building entryway

Recurring retest cycles

Radon is not a one-time number. Soil gas conditions, building changes, and HVAC modifications can shift readings over time, so most owners re-test on a multi-year cycle. A program tracks which buildings were tested when and flags what is due, so retests happen on schedule rather than after a tenant asks again.

A single point of contact

One relationship covers the whole portfolio. New acquisitions get folded into the program, the manager gets one contact for scheduling and reports, and there is no need to re-explain the building stock or re-source a vendor for every property.

Mitigation when it is needed

If a building tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, mitigation is designed for that building and scheduled around residents. Most work happens at the slab and on exterior walls, with interior work scheduled during business hours with notice. Quiet, right-sized fans keep occupied buildings comfortable. After mitigation, a post-mitigation test confirms the system is working.

An ongoing partner

The goal is to take radon off the manager plate as a recurring worry. Testing, documentation, retests, owner and board communication support, and mitigation when confirmed all run through one partner who already knows the portfolio.

What drives the cost

A two-building program and a thirty-building portfolio are very different jobs. Testing is quoted as a fixed fee after a short call about the portfolio. Mitigation needs a site visit to count suction points, but the variables that shape price are the same every time.

Testing

  • Number of buildings in the programHigh impact
  • Number of ground-contact units across the portfolioHigh impact
  • Whether common areas need separate testingMedium
  • Short-term vs long-term protocolMedium
  • Retest cycle and ongoing program scopeMedium
  • Turnaround required for a deal timelineMedium

Mitigation

  • Slab area and number of suction pointsHigh impact
  • Slab construction (post-tension, vapor barrier, etc.)High impact
  • Riser routing (interior vs exterior)High impact
  • Number of separate buildings to mitigateHigh impact
  • Electrical capacity and panel accessMedium
  • After-hours or phased work for occupied buildingsMedium

Frequently asked questions

Is radon testing required for the properties I manage in Georgia?▾
Georgia does not have a state-level requirement for rental radon testing. Testing usually comes up for other reasons: a tenant asked, an owner or lender required it at acquisition or refinance, or an owner wants documentation on file. Federal multifamily loan programs (HUD/FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) often require it as a closing condition. Outside of those deals, testing is voluntary but increasingly expected, and a documented test is the defensible answer when the question comes up.
I manage buildings for several different owners. How does that work?▾
A portfolio program is built so each building is tested and reported the same way, regardless of who owns it. Each owner receives the report for their own property, and the manager holds a consistent record across the whole portfolio. Scope and cost can be tracked per owner so billing and approvals stay clean.
A tenant asked about radon in one of my buildings. What now?▾
Once a tenant has asked in writing, the most defensible response is generally to test that building. A documented test addresses the inquiry directly. Telling the tenant to run their own test does not. Across a portfolio it is also worth noting which other buildings share the same construction and soil conditions, since the same question often surfaces at similar properties. Specific legal exposure should be reviewed with counsel.
Can you schedule testing across multiple buildings without disrupting tenants?▾
Yes. That is the point of running it as a program rather than building by building. Testing is sequenced by location, slab type, and access so site visits are efficient. The device sits in a unit for two to four days while residents continue normal life. A short resident notice goes out before each test, and a notification template using owner-friendly language comes with the plan.
How often should the properties be retested?▾
Radon readings can shift over time with soil conditions, building changes, or HVAC modifications, so most owners re-test on a multi-year cycle. A program tracks which buildings were tested when and flags what is due, so retests happen on schedule. A building that has been modified, mitigated, or had elevated readings in the past is usually retested sooner.
What does the documentation include, and who is it for?▾
Each building gets a report with a unit list, device serial numbers, raw data, weather conditions, a narrative interpretation, and a recommendation. It is built to hand to an owner, lender, attorney, or HOA board without follow-up questions. Because every property is reported the same way, the manager can answer questions about any building from one consistent file.
What happens if a building tests high?▾
If a building tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the next step is mitigation designed for that building and scheduled around residents. Most of the work happens at the slab and on exterior walls. After the system is installed, a post-mitigation test confirms it is working, and that result goes into the building file alongside the original report. Mitigation is designed at the building level, since the soil gas source is the slab rather than any single unit.
Who pays, the owner or the tenant?▾
In standard residential leases the owner is responsible for the building envelope and environmental conditions like radon, so testing and any mitigation are owner-borne and generally cannot be passed through as an operating expense. The manager coordinates the work; the owner approves and pays. Some commercial-style net leases on mixed-use properties handle this differently.

Related

Commercial overviewMultifamily radonCommercial radon testing guideHUD radon requirementsContact

Information on this page is general guidance about radon testing, mitigation, and documentation for property managers. It is not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Specific decisions about a property, lease, transaction, or disclosure obligation should be made with qualified counsel and a site-specific evaluation.

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