Because a condominium is a legal form of ownership, not a type of home structure, there is not a simple “yes or no” answer to this question. Radon testing is recommended by the EPA for “all homes below the third floor.” This is because radon gas comes out of the ground in areas with uranium/radium deposits, but it would be difficult for the gas to rise above the second floor unless any upper floors are connected as part of the same multi-level home. So, testing is specified for one and two-story units and, since it is recommended to be done on the lowest living level, the test should be placed on the first floor of a two-story unit.

    If you are buying a first-floor unit, you run the same risk of a high radon level inside your condo as any other residence, especially when you are in a neighborhood with historically high radon test readings. Second floor condo units will be somewhat less likely to have a high test result.

    A condo on the third floor or higher has an extremely low probability of having an elevated radon problem—but it is still possible. A 27 pico-curies per liter level (almost 7 times higher than the EPA’s recommended maximum of 4 pCi/l) was found on the 11th floor of a Florida condominium a few years ago. Apparently the aggregate in the concrete used for the construction was emitting the radon.

 The Florida Department of Health maintains a database that will tell you the percentage of homes that have been tested in your zip code that exceeded the EPA’s maximum safe level of 4.0 pico-curies per liter of air.

  The link to their webpage for this data is:

http://dchpexternalapps.doh.state.fl.us/radon/default.aspx

   And here’s the disclaimer they add along with the results:

“This radon data does NOT represent a scientific or statistical survey; therefore, it should be interpreted with caution. This data may provide an indication of the radon potential in a zip code area if a large enough and properly distributed number of buildings have been tested and reported for the area. This data cannot be used to predict the radon level for new construction. Structural features, construction details and ventilation operations differ from building to building and greatly influence radon concentration. Structures within the same zip code area may have dramatically different indoor radon levels due to these differences. Inferring indoor radon levels for untested buildings, based on indoor radon data from tested buildings is not possible. The only way to know if a building has an elevated radon level is to test.”

    Also, see our blog post How was it determined that between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year are caused by radon?

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about “RADON":

• Is a radon mitigation fan required to be on a dedicated circuit breaker/fuse in the electric panel?

• What happens to a radon test result if the windows were opened, the test device moved, or there was any other evidence of tampering during the test? 

• Where do I find the Florida laws regarding radon?

• Can I test vacant land for radon before building a house? 

• Is radon mitigation possible for a condominium?

• Do radon mitigation systems require maintenance?

• What is the average life expectancy of a radon mitigation system?  

• Do older houses have higher radon levels than new houses? 

• Can the seller tamper with a homebuyer's radon test to change the results?

• How long does it take to get the results of a radon test? 

• Will opening the windows reduce the radon level in a house?

• Can a homebuyer do their own radon test for a real estate transaction with a self-test kit?

• What is the danger of radon in well water?

• What are the symptoms of radon poisoning? 

• Does Florida have radon?

• Where does radon come from? 

• For how many years does an old radon test result remain valid?

• Should homeowners get a pre-listing radon test before selling their home?

• What are a homebuyer's options when the radon test comes back high (4.0 pico-curies/liter or more)? 

• Do granite countertops emit radon?

• How can I tell if a house has a radon mitigation system? 

• Can a mobile/manufactured home have a high radon problem?

• What does a radon mitigation contractor do to lower the radon level in a home?

• Should I buy a house with a high radon level? 

• What is the average radon level of indoor and outdoor air in America?

• What is the operating cost of a radon mitigation system? 

• Should I buy a house with a radon mitigation system?

• Does the buyer or seller of a home pay for radon mitigation when the radon test comes back high? 

• What is the probability of having high radon in a Florida house?

• How quickly do I need to reduce a high radon level in my house? 

• Does a home inspector check for radon?

• What are the problems with underground return air ducts? 

• What is the probability of having high radon in a Florida house?

• What factors can change radon test levels up or down?

    Visit our RADON page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.