The types of asbestos materials that may be found in your home are described below:

• Sprayed asbestos coating– used as a fire protection or insulation material on columns or beams which may be found in steel-framed houses or communal areas of flats.
• Pipe insulation – asbestos thermal pipe lagging used to insulate pipes and boilers.
• Asbestos insulating board – found on ceilings and on door panels used for fire protection and heat insulation.
• Floor tiles – vinyl (PVC) or thermo-plastic tiles may contain a small amount of asbestos material.
• Asbestos cement roof sheeting – found on industrial roofs, walls and sometimes shed or garage roofs.
• Textured decorative coating (commonly known as Artex) – found on ceilings or walls.

To stay safe around asbestos in your home:

• Leave asbestos materials alone if they’re in a good condition and cannot be damaged.
• Don’t damage or remove materials that you know, or suspect, might contain asbestos.
• Don’t rub down or sand a product that you know, or suspect, might contain asbestos (for example, artex).
• Don’t drill through an asbestos product – this will release fibres, which, if breathed, in may pose a risk to your health.
• Don’t break off or otherwise damage pieces from materials you know, or suspect, may contain asbestos.

What to do if you want to carry out DIY or major refurbishment within your home:

• Obtain written permission from us (landlord's consent) before you start work on your property. Please click here to find out about obtaining landlord's consent. 
• Before you carry out any DIY on your home, check that you are not working on any products containing asbestos.
• It is vital that a suitable asbestos survey is carried out before any type of major refurbishment work takes place.

What to do if you think you may have already moved or disturbed asbestos:

If you have carried out DIY or major works in your home without landlord consent and believe you may have disturbed or damaged materials containing asbestos in your home, please contact us as soon as possible so we can work to reduce any potential risks. To get in touch, please contact our Customer Services Team here.

What you can expect from us as your landlord:

• We do hold an asbestos register, so we know where asbestos is present.
• Where necessary, we will remove or encapsulate (seal) any damaged or fragile asbestos containing material.
• We will not remove asbestos in good condition, or if it’s been undisturbed.

1. Don’t panic if you think you have material containing asbestos in your home. Asbestos is safe if it is undamaged.
2. We will not normally remove asbestos in your home, unless it is likely to be disturbed through work or maintenance related activity we carry out.
3. Usually, no action is required on your part and you do not need to tell us if you think you have asbestos in your home – unless you think you have moved or disturbed it (see below).
4. IMPORTANT: If you have carried out DIY or major works in your home without landlord consent and believe you may have disturbed or damaged materials containing asbestos in your home, please contact us as soon as possible so we can work to resolve the problem and reduce any potential risks. To get in touch, please contact our Customer Services Team here.
5. Asbestos building products have now been banned.
6. If you live in a property built after 2000, it is highly unlikely that you will find asbestos in your home.

For queries or concerns regarding asbestos in your home, please contact our Customer Services Team here.