Yes, you can sell a house with asbestos in it: there is no rule against it, and the Health and Safety Executive’s advice is that asbestos in good condition and unlikely to be damaged is often best left where it is. What matters for your sale is that you are honest about what you know, share any surveys you have, and understand that some buyers will price in the cost of dealing with it.
Where is asbestos found in older homes?
HSE says asbestos was widely used in buildings until 1999, when it was banned, and that it may be part of any home built or refurbished before 2000. So if your house dates from before then, you can’t rule asbestos out just by looking.
HSE’s guide to where asbestos can occur in a house lists places such as:
- textured decorative coatings on walls and ceilings, for example Artex
- vinyl floor tiles backed with asbestos paper and bitumen adhesive
- asbestos insulating board (AIB) around boilers, behind fires and fuse boxes, in partition walls and ceiling tiles
- pipe lagging and sprayed insulation coating on boilers
- toilet cisterns, bath panels and asbestos cement water tanks
- loose fill cavity insulation
- soffits and fascias, roofing felt, asbestos cement roof tiles, slates and panels
- gutters and asbestos cement downpipes, and profiled asbestos cement sheeting, such as on garages and sheds
RICS, the professional body for chartered surveyors, adds that asbestos insulation can be found in homes, particularly larger houses built before the 1970s, in places such as floor voids, lofts and around old heating systems.
Is asbestos dangerous if you leave it alone?
HSE says asbestos only becomes a risk to health when fibres are released into the air and breathed in. Its advice to homeowners is:
- if materials are in good condition and unlikely to be damaged, it is often best to leave them in place and monitor them
- badly damaged asbestos that is likely to be damaged further should be removed if it cannot be protected
- don’t try to repair or remove asbestos yourself unless you have had training for non-licensed asbestos work
- if you are worried, you can ask an environmental health officer at your local council for advice
The duty to manage asbestos applies to owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises and to the shared parts of some domestic buildings. HSE does not describe it as applying to an owner-occupied house.
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Do you have to tell buyers about asbestos?
In England and Wales, your solicitor will ask you to complete the Law Society’s Property Information Form (TA6). The current edition doesn’t have a question specifically about asbestos, but its instructions are clear: answer truthfully, completely and as accurately as you can, and if you don’t know something, say so. Buyers can rely on your answers, and if you give misleading information, the buyer may be able to claim compensation after completion.
So if you know about asbestos, for example because a survey found it or you have had some removed, tell your solicitor and hand over the paperwork. GOV.UK’s guide to selling a home lists specialist asbestos surveys, where relevant, among the documents to gather before you market the house. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the forms differ, and your solicitor will explain what to disclose.
Expect the question to come up anyway. RICS notes that textured coatings are common in homes, that surveyors may report on their possible presence, and that concerns about asbestos may influence buyers’ decisions.
What kind of asbestos survey is there?
HSE says the only way to confirm whether a suspect material contains asbestos is to have a sample taken and analysed. It strongly recommends using accredited organisations, and says the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole recognised accreditation body in Great Britain for asbestos inspection bodies.
HSE’s survey guidance is written mainly for non-domestic premises, but it explains the two main types of survey:
- Management survey. Helps the person responsible for a building manage asbestos during its normal occupation and use.
- Refurbishment or demolition survey. Carried out before building work. It aims to find all the asbestos, including material hidden in the fabric of the building, and involves destructive inspection, so the area must be empty.
A buyer planning major works will be most interested in the second kind. If you already have either, include it with your sale papers.
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When does asbestos need to be removed?
Often it doesn’t. Removing material that is in good condition can create the very risk you want to avoid. HSE’s guidance on who can do what includes:
| Material | Work that trained, non-licensed workers can do | Work that needs an HSE-licensed contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos cement | Cleaning weathered roofing or cladding, drilling a hole | Work likely to cause significant break-up of the material |
| Textured coatings | Drilling through them, removing less than around 1 square metre using steam or gel | Removal using energetic methods such as wet abrasive blasting |
| Vinyl floor tiles | Removing tiles and mastic by hand | Grinding off flooring materials |
| Asbestos insulating board | Painting undamaged board, removing a single ceiling tile | Most removal, and any work on board in poor condition |
| Lagging, sprayed coatings, loose fill cavity insulation | Very little, if any | Most work on lagging, and all work on sprayed coatings and loose fill |
HSE says asbestos waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste, not with household rubbish. In England and Wales, GOV.UK has a postcode tool to find your council’s information on asbestos disposal.
How do lenders and buyers view asbestos?
There isn’t a single lender rule on asbestos that we could find. Each lender relies on its valuer’s report and its own criteria, so a buyer’s mortgage broker is the best person to ask how a particular lender will treat what the surveyor finds.
Buyers’ reactions vary. Some will accept small amounts of asbestos cement or textured coating in good condition; others will want a survey, a price reduction or removal before they commit. Cash buyers, who don’t need a lender’s approval, will usually allow for the cost of surveys and any removal they plan, plus the effect when they come to sell on.
Offers from cash buyers for a house with known asbestos problems are usually below full market value, and a quick sale generally means accepting less than an open-market sale might achieve. Where the asbestos is minor and in good condition, an estate agent sale may suit you better. Our guide to how much cash buyers pay explains how offers are worked out.
If you would rather sell as the house stands, some of the vetted cash buyers on our panel buy homes with problems like this. You can get offers for my home and share any survey you have. It is free, and there is no obligation to accept. If the house needs wider work too, see our guide to selling a house that needs renovation.
Common questions
Is it illegal to sell a house with asbestos?
No. Many homes built or refurbished before 2000 contain some asbestos, and the Health and Safety Executive's advice to homeowners is that materials in good condition and unlikely to be damaged are often best left in place. What you must do is answer the buyer's questions honestly and share any surveys or records you have.
Should I get an asbestos survey before I sell?
There is no general requirement to. A survey can help if you suspect damaged material or a buyer asks about it. HSE says the only way to confirm whether a material contains asbestos is to have a sample analysed, and it recommends using organisations accredited by UKAS.
Can I remove asbestos myself before selling?
HSE says you should not try to repair or remove asbestos materials yourself unless you have had training for non-licensed asbestos work. Some materials, such as sprayed coatings, lagging and most asbestos insulating board, should only be removed by an HSE-licensed contractor. Asbestos waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
Does Artex contain asbestos?
It can. HSE lists textured decorative coatings, for example Artex, among the places asbestos may be found in a home built or refurbished before 2000. You can't tell by looking, so only testing a sample will confirm it.
Related guides
- Selling a house that needs renovation Major work, fire, flood and damp damage, lenders, auctions and over-investing.
- Selling a non-standard construction house PRC, steel and timber frame homes, designated defective types and repair certificates.
- How much do cash house buyers pay? Why offers are below market value, and how to judge one.
- Documents you need to sell a house A checklist of the paperwork for a sale, and where to find it.