Illinois house sellers need to inform house buyers of their knowledge and testing of radon in their house.

Beginning January 1, 2008, all Illinois residential real property sellers are required to complete a disclosure form which advises the prospective house buyer as to whether or not the house seller has knowledge and/or has ever tested for radon gas.

The structure of this law appears to be very similar to that of the lead-based paint disclosure law where a disclosure form is completed and the buyer is presented with a pamphlet. In this case, the pamphlet is entitled "Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions".

For details regarding this law, click here. At the time of this writing, the Illinois Association of Realtors is writing a brochure to explain the new law, in plain terms.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas which has been linked to health problems including lung cancer.

Radon can be detected several different ways. For the purposes of a real estate transaction, the short term tests are most commonly used. This type of short term test includes an activated charcoal canister or an electronic test. For more details, contact Radon Ron, a local radon tester.

If radon is detected, there are many ways it can be mitigated. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sealing openings in the basement floor and/or walls. In other cases, a sub-slab ventilation system can be employed. For more information regarding radon mitigation, review the website of Elliot and Associates.

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