Asbestos

No - asbestos is only a risk to health if it's in poor condition, broken, or if you're actually working on it. It's like live electricity – a constant presence and quite safe unless tampered with.

If the sheeting is not damaged, there's no danger from the asbestos contained within it.

Based on the information you can find online, we advise that you do not carry out DIY on any item if you think it may contain asbestos. Please contact us first to confirm.

The risk to householders from carrying out minor repairs is minimal. However, to avoid any risk, we advise you not to carry out any further work on items that might contain asbestos.

We'll either arrange for the item to be inspected to check whether there is a risk and/or replace the item in an appropriate manner.

No - replacement materials used by us and our contractors will not contain asbestos.

If asbestos is not damaged or disturbed, the safest thing to do is to leave it where it is. If there's some damaged asbestos in your home, we'll immediately assess the risk and then decide on the best course of action to deal with it to make sure you're not exposed to any potential risk.

No - we believe that most of our buildings, like the majority of buildings built before 1990, will contain asbestos, so there would be no point in moving you to another property which is also likely to contain asbestos.

Asbestos was widely used in building materials for many years. It’s usually safe if left undisturbed, but it’s important for us to know where it is so any future work in your home can be completed safely and legally.

These surveys help keep you, your home, and any contractors safe now and in the future.

During the visit, the Vintec surveyor will:

• Look around every room in your home, including the loft, built-in cupboards, and sometimes outbuildings
• Check common areas where asbestos containing materials may be found, such as:
  • Textured ceilings
  • Floor tiles and adhesives
  • Pipe boxing
  • Bath panels
  • Loft insulation and water tanks
  • Garage roofs or ceilings
• Lift a corner of carpet or remove a small panel if they need to see behind pipework or boxed-in areas. This is not disruptive and everything will be left tidy.

The visit usually takes 30–45 minutes.

No, you don’t need to do anything before the appointment.

A few simple things will help the visit run smoothly:

• You can stay at home throughout the survey
• The surveyor may ask you to briefly step out of a room if they need to take a sample
• Please keep children and pets safely out of the way while the survey is taking place
• All Vintec surveyors carry official photo ID, so you’ll always know who’s calling.

Once the survey is complete:

• The report is sent directly to us as your landlord
• We’ll contact you if any follow-up work is needed
• If you have questions about the results, we’ll be happy to help.

It’s really important we are able to complete the full survey during the appointment. If we can’t, it may delay any planned maintenance or repairs.

There’s no need to worry.
If the surveyor finds any low-risk asbestos materials or minor damage:

• It’s still safe for you to remain in your home
• Low-risk materials are common in older homes and are safe when left undisturbed
• Any repairs that are needed will be arranged and carried out safely, with minimal disruption.