Do you have to disclose asbestos when selling a house in the UK?

Yes… You have to disclose the presence of asbestos when selling your home if you are aware of it. In line with The Property Misdescriptions Act 2013, it is an offence to withhold such information and could invalidate the sale and result in prosecution.

A buyers survey could uncover asbestos which you were previously unaware of, therefore it is advised to get your own survey completed so there are no surprises.

For more information and guidance on home surveys, contact an expert https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/moving-and-improving-your-home/selling-a-home/

Any home built prior to 2000 is at risk of containing asbestos material. The most common places asbestos can be found are detailed within our infographic below:

• Lagging
• Rainwater materials such as pipes and guttering
• Roofs and roofing felt (most commonly on outbuildings, garages and sheds)
• Flu pipes
• Water tanks
• Insulation and insulation boards (AIB)
• Ceiling and floor tiles
• Textured decorative coating (artex)
• Soffits and beneath windows
• Behind fireplaces

There is no law to state that you cannot sell a home that contains asbestos. There is also no legal requirement to have an asbestos survey carried out when selling a house. You do however have to disclose the presence of asbestos if you are aware of it. In line with The Property Misdescriptions Act 2013, it is an offence to withhold such information and could invalidate the sale and result in prosecution.

Do not let the asbestos in your home put you off selling it. Smart Asbestos Services can provide competitive quotes for the asbestos removal prior to selling, but we can also issue an official quote to your buyers during negotiation.

Asbestos is only dangerous when damaged or disturbed. Therefore, you might not need to remove it and can keep it in place for a long time.

Asbestos still remains in thousands of homes within the UK, therefore if you are buying an older house there is a risk it may contain asbestos. However, do not let this put you off because you could negotiate the price of purchase against the cost of asbestos removal.

Smart Asbestos Services can provide encapsulation solutions to maintain the integrity of the asbestos material or we can provide the cost to remove the asbestos.

We are not mortgage advisors and you should always seek professional advice from a mortgage advisor. However, we can provide information on the expertise of a local mortgage broker and the experience we have had with our customers who have had difficulty getting a mortgage due to asbestos being present in their prospective house.

The condition, type and location can affect the decision with mortgages. Some lenders require the asbestos to be removed before they will agree to lend to you, some others are more generous. For example, if asbestos is contained within the house and is badly damaged then the asbestos may require removal. The reason behind this is the risk of asbestos exposure to the inhabitants. However, asbestos roof tiles on a house are likely to cause less of an issue.

Smart Asbestos Services have experience in dealing with asbestos removal in homes that are in between sales. We can collect the keys from estate agents and carry out the works with confirmation in writing and a removal certificate produced on completion.

The quantity, type and condition of the asbestos may affect the price of the property. Buyers may want to negotiate the price of the property because asbestos is present. Therefore, we find that many of our customers choose to use us for low-cost asbestos removal prior to the property going on the market.

The best way to find out if your property contains asbestos is to have a professional asbestos survey carried out, or if you have pinpointed the suspected material, asbestos testing can be conducted as a more cost-effective solution