The days around a move are when people drill shelf fixings, strip wallpaper, take down a dated ceiling or bring in a builder before the furniture arrives. In a home built or refurbished before 2000, that is also when asbestos-containing materials can be disturbed. This article summarises the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) FAQ page “Asbestos – FAQs” and the GOV.UK “Asbestos in your home” page. HSE regulates workplace health and safety in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own regulator and is not covered here. This is general information, not a survey or professional advice.
How likely is it in a home you are moving into?
HSE says asbestos was widely used in commercial buildings, homes and machinery until it was banned in 1999, and that it may be part of any commercial or domestic building built or refurbished before the year 2000. Its list of places where it can still be found includes asbestos cement products (pipes, flues, roofs), lagging on pipes and boilers, water tanks and toilet cisterns, asbestos insulating board (which closely resembles plasterboard), loose asbestos in ceiling and wall cavities, sprayed coatings, textured decorative coatings commonly called Artex, floor tiles, and textiles and composites. HSE also says it can be difficult to identify asbestos because it is often mixed with other materials.
What HSE says to do if it is suspected
HSE’s advice to householders who think they may have asbestos is direct: do not try to repair or remove any asbestos materials yourself if you have not had training for non-licensed asbestos work. It says that if a home is sure, or strongly suspected, to contain asbestos, it is often best to leave the materials where they are, especially if they are in good condition and unlikely to be damaged, and to check their condition from time to time. The same page says the presence of asbestos alone should not be a cause for concern, because it becomes a risk to health when it is released into the air and breathed in.
The guidance distinguishes between kinds of material. Slightly damaged materials can sometimes be repaired by sealing or enclosing them, but only by someone with the necessary training. Badly damaged material that is likely to become further damaged should be removed if it cannot be protected. HSE says sprayed asbestos coatings, asbestos lagging or insulation, and asbestos insulating board should only be removed by a contractor licensed by HSE.
Telling the people who work in your home
HSE says that anyone planning DIY improvements, repairs or maintenance who intends to bring in additional builders, maintenance workers or contractors should tell them about any asbestos materials in the home before they start. This is meant to reduce the chance of the materials being disturbed, and HSE strongly encourages the use of trained professionals to repair or remove them.
The removal day is a natural point for this. A newly arrived owner may have a plumber, electrician or decorator booked within days. On the law, HSE says the general duties in section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 protect householders from risks arising from work activities carried out in their homes, and that the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 also apply where the work involves asbestos-containing materials. It adds that in owner-occupied domestic properties the owners are not legally responsible for risks to contractors from asbestos, as the owners are not themselves engaged in a work activity.
Rented homes and shared parts of flats
HSE’s page describes the “duty to manage” asbestos, which is a legal requirement under regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. It says the duty applies to owners and occupiers of commercial premises with responsibility for maintenance and repair, and that it also applies to the shared parts of some domestic premises. A tenant or a flat buyer can therefore ask the landlord or managing agent whether the communal areas have an asbestos register or management plan.
Waste, old fittings and selling on
Two rules matter for the clear-out that comes with a move. HSE says asbestos-containing materials need to be legally disposed of as hazardous waste, must not be mixed with normal household waste, and that the local council can advise on collection or special facilities. It also says it is illegal to supply any article containing asbestos, whether for money or free of charge, so an item that is known to contain it cannot be sold or given away. The site’s article on leftover furniture and rubbish after a move covers carrier checks for ordinary household waste, and its guide to decluttering before moving covers selling and donating.
Who to ask
HSE says householders can seek advice from an environmental health officer at their local council, and the GOV.UK page “Asbestos in your home” leads to a local council look-up by postcode; that GOV.UK service is marked as available in England and Wales only.
Common questions
Should I have Artex ceilings removed before moving in?
HSE says textured coatings such as Artex can contain asbestos but that materials in good condition are often best left in place. Anyone planning work should ask the council and a competent professional first.
Can I put old asbestos sheeting in the skip?
No. HSE says asbestos materials must be disposed of as hazardous waste, separately from household waste, and the council can advise on how.
The bottom line
For a home built or refurbished before 2000, HSE’s message to householders in Great Britain is to treat suspected asbestos as something to leave undisturbed in good condition, not to repair or remove it without training, to tell every contractor before work begins, and to dispose of it only as hazardous waste. A move is the moment when drilling and stripping tend to happen, so the checks are best made before the first job is booked.