whoever did it is a total moron, counter tops should be food safe and if its coming off it clearly isnt. remove it or seal it with a good varnish

It doesn't sound like the type of surface you would want to prepare food on

unless it was spray painted in the 70's, you don't have to worry about lead.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't concerned about eating it.

If you have Spray painted counters I would worry about other areas of the dwelling as well, obviously your landlord has zero concern for health and safety. Spray paint has carbons in it that even if sealed will slowly be released, if a food grade area is being Spray painted for a finish like I said I would strongly advise looking at other areas of the home.

• You are asking about a project that someone else did.
• You are not asking a question relating to something DIY.
• You are not asking a question at all.
• You are submitting a "DIY Tips" or "Tricks" post.
• You are trying to submit a survey / fundraiser.
• You are asking what an item is called - try /r/whatisthisthing.
• /r/DIY allows only two types of posts - finished projects & help requests.
• If your submission is neither of these - it will be removed.

Please read our guidelines before resubmitting.

If you believe this was a mistake, please message the moderators.

No, you do not need to test it for lead.

Yes, the countertops need to be replaced or refinished.

Yes, this would constitute a failure to provide basic living amenities, and is something you could take to your local landlord-tenant board to get advice on how best to approach your landlord to replace it.