Ensuring safety around asbestos

Our mission is to get people housed, which sometimes means not shying away from problems that might make other property managers wince. As Asbestos is present in a majority of buildings built between the 1950s and the 1980s, having a robust and proactive approach to its management is key to maximising the number of guardians we can house and the number of property owners we can help.

Useful to understand is that it is perfectly safe to live around Asbestos as long as it stays undisturbed. This means that while it might be present in flooring, artex, ceilings or in fixtures and fittings, as long as these remain intact, there is no risk for the resident.

And, even though the properties we manage usually have either no or very low-risk asbestos, we always ensure we are abiding by up to date legislation and the health and safety executive’s guidance. Never guilty of complacency when it comes to the wellbeing of our guardians and our teams, our standard protocol for managing properties with Asbestos includes:

1. Where possible, we obtain Asbestos reports and remove anything risky.
2. We share the report with our guardians to ensure complete transparency and awareness, and to enable them to monitor any changes.
3. We partner with property owners to make sure Asbestos is not unintentionally exposed during preparation and handover.
4. We ensure that all guardians decorate unobtrusively, i.e. not ripping up flooring or drilling holes in certain areas that could increase the risk of exposure.
5. Regular professional inspections allow us to keep an eye on the property condition as a whole, and highlight any Asbestos-containing materials that may require attention.

So while stories in the press tell of the risks of mismanaged Asbestos, we can help ensure that your property, or the one you’d like to occupy as a guardian, is a safe and reassuring place to live.