Common parts and individual dwellings need different briefs
Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 applies to non-domestic premises and the common parts of domestic premises. In a residential block, that can include entrance halls, stairwells, corridors, risers, plant rooms, stores, garages and other shared areas for which the landlord or managing party has maintenance responsibilities.
The inside of an individual house or flat is treated differently under the duty-to-manage provisions. That does not remove the need to investigate asbestos before repair or refurbishment work begins. Where work may disturb the building fabric, the people planning and carrying out that work need reliable information about the materials in their path.
A common-parts survey must follow the building
I would not accept a block survey that stops at the corridors. In purpose-built stock from the 1950s through to the 1980s, important areas often include entrance canopy soffits, stair and corridor ceilings, electrical and service risers, boiler rooms, pipework, roof voids, tank rooms, bin stores, garages and lift motor rooms. These are also the places where access is awkward and historic asbestos insulating board, lagging or sprayed coatings may remain undisturbed.
Existing information should be reviewed before the inspection. Useful records include previous surveys, asbestos registers, refurbishment drawings, removal documentation and four-stage clearance certificates. Older blocks often contain evidence of partial removal, with material taken out on some floors but left in comparable locations elsewhere. Any decision to use representative sampling must be justified, recorded and clear to the contractors who later rely on the report. HSG264 provides the recognised framework for asbestos surveying.
Arrange a common-parts assessment
Speak to a consultant about the block layout, maintenance responsibilities, access constraints and the records already held.
Survey void properties against the works programme
A void refurbishment rarely affects one room or one trade. Kitchen replacement, bathroom works, heating alterations, rewiring, flooring and decoration can disturb separate layers of the building. A survey limited to a room name can miss the hallway ceiling chased by an electrician, the lining behind an airing cupboard or the floor beneath fitted units.
The survey scope should be built from the schedule of works. It should identify where contractors will drill, cut, strip, lift or open the fabric, including service routes and concealed voids. The surveyor also needs to know whether services can be isolated, whether the dwelling is empty and whether intrusive openings can remain exposed for the planned works. The refurbishment asbestos survey should cover the full work package rather than a general description of the property.
Occupied homes require controlled access
Intrusive inspection can be undertaken in an occupied dwelling, but the method and access arrangements need to be agreed first. Refurbishment surveys may involve lifting floor coverings, removing panels and opening ceilings or boxing. The tenant should know which rooms are affected, what must be moved and whether an area will be unavailable during the inspection.
Where a suspect material is already damaged, restrict access and obtain competent advice. A tenant or caretaker should not be asked to clean debris, move broken boards or assist with sampling. Damaged meter-cupboard linings, cracked cement flues and disturbed textured coatings need a planned response rather than improvised handling.
Asset identification is part of a usable survey
Every report should carry an unambiguous property reference. Flat numbers repeat across estates, addresses change and older records are often migrated between systems. A UPRN or asset number, supported by consistent block, floor and room naming, reduces the risk of a contractor relying on the wrong report.
The survey record should also identify inaccessible areas, presumed materials, sampling limitations and the precise extent of the inspection. A report that appears complete but hides exclusions in small print creates more risk than a clearly scoped document.
Check the scope, sampling and competence
A survey specification should state the areas included, the level of intrusion, access requirements and how suspect materials will be assessed. Sample numbers should follow the range of materials encountered rather than an arbitrary property allowance. A three-bedroom dwelling may contain textured coatings, vinyl floor tiles, bitumen adhesive, a bath panel, airing-cupboard linings and an asbestos cement garage roof, each requiring a defensible assessment.
Samples should be analysed by a laboratory accredited by UKAS for asbestos identification. Where inspection accreditation is required by the procurement specification, confirm that it covers the surveying activity and not laboratory testing alone. Competence, insurance, reporting standards and quality controls should be checked before appointment.
Information to assemble before instruction
- UPRNs or asset numbers, with consistent block, floor, flat and room references
- Construction dates and known refurbishment periods, especially work completed before 2000
- The repairing and maintenance responsibilities for common and demised areas
- Existing registers, surveys, drawings and asbestos removal records
- Schedules for void works, responsive repairs and planned improvement programmes
- Access arrangements, occupancy details and relevant tenant vulnerabilities
For larger programmes, see housing association asbestos surveys and portfolio survey planning.
Discuss the landlord requirement
We are an independent consultancy: survey, sampling and removal work is carried out by the vetted professionals we appoint.
Frequently asked questions
My block was built in 1996. Is it too new to worry about?
No. Chrysotile asbestos remained legal in the UK until its final prohibition in 1999, so some buildings completed in the late 1990s can contain asbestos products. The construction date is useful evidence, but it should be considered alongside product records, refurbishment history and the materials actually present.
Who is the dutyholder when a managing agent runs the block?
The duty follows responsibility for maintenance and repair. The landlord, freeholder, managing agent or another party may hold all or part of it, depending on the lease, management agreement and actual control of the common areas. Those documents should be reviewed rather than assuming the appointment of an agent transfers every obligation.
Can I rely on an asbestos register inherited from a previous owner?
Only after a competent review. Check the survey type and date, the areas inspected, stated exclusions, plans, sample records and any removal or refurbishment completed since the survey. An incomplete inherited register may remain useful, but it should not be treated as current without verification.
What asbestos information must contractors receive?
Contractors need relevant asbestos information before work that could disturb the building fabric begins. Give them the current register or survey findings for the exact work area, together with drawings, access restrictions and any stated presumptions or exclusions. The information must match the property and the planned task.