Asbestos is a naturally occurring material that used to be added to building materials. It’s not the type of asbestos that causes problems – asbestos is only unsafe if the product containing it is damaged and made of a substance that easily releases asbestos fibres.

Exposure to disturbed asbestos can cause severe respiratory diseases and cancer. 

The use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999. Although asbestos products in homes are rarely high-risk, if your home was built before 1999, asbestos-containing materials may be present. 

Where is asbestos found?

You can’t always tell whether something contains asbestos from how it looks, but areas in your home where asbestos may be present include:

  • Textured decorative coatings like artex
  • Bath panels and toilet cisterns
  • Vinyl floor tiles
  • Boxing to pipes,
  • Cement soil pipes
  • Cement rainwater goods (gutters and downpipes)
  • Soffits at roof level
  • Corrugated cement roofing sheets

What do we do about asbestos?

We have to ensure the safe management of asbestos in our buildings.

We’ve carried out asbestos surveys on all communal areas in our buildings and asbestos-containing materials are regularly inspected. 

Any asbestos-containing materials not in a satisfactory condition will be repaired or removed by qualified professionals. Sometimes, individual samples of a product may be required to ensure a repair is completed safely. 

We’re in the process of obtaining whole property asbestos surveys for our properties built before 2000. If you’re contacted by our asbestos consultants, please make every effort to accommodate their survey.

What can I do to protect myself?

  • Do not touch or remove damaged materials that may contain asbestos.
  • If you spot damaged materials that may contain asbestos, report this repair to our repairs Hub on 0300 123 2100. It is illegal to remove the material yourself unless you’re qualified to do so.
  • Never cut, saw, drill, break or sand materials containing asbestos.
  • Please ask our permission before carrying out any DIY projects or making alterations in your home. We can determine if the presence of asbestos will affect your proposed activities.

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