Asbestos advice

Asbestos is a building material that has been used as an insulator to protect building elements from fire and excessive heat.

Asbestos is safe unless it’s disturbed. Do not attempt to remove asbestos from your property yourself.

Always get permission before carrying out any alternations to your home.

We can check our records and tell you if any asbestos is present or arrange a survey to be carried out.

Where is asbestos found

Asbestos could be in any building built or refurbished before 2000. Building materials that contain asbestos include:

Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres which you can breathe in. When asbestos materials age or become damaged they release fibres into the air.

These fibres can cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.

Asbestos is not a danger to your health if it’s in good condition and left undisturbed.

If it’s damaged or its condition deteriorates, you and others may be at risk.

Removing asbestos materials already in your home is not always the safest option. You should always get expert advice.

If you’re a council tenant and you think your home contains asbestos materials, you need to report it to us.

You must not carry out any alterations to your home without getting our agreement first.

You’ll need to wait until we have investigated the issue before you can do any work to your home.

If you’re worried about asbestos in your leasehold home, you should ask a licensed asbestos company to carry out a survey.

avoid disturbing asbestos materials in good condition
avoid creating and breathing in asbestos dust
get advice if the asbestos material is damaged or deteriorating
don't drill, saw, sand or disturb materials that contain asbestos
contact your gas or electricity supplier if your appliances contain asbestos
tell builders or contractors before they start work if you have, or suspect asbestos in your home
do not remove asbestos yourself without the permission from us