For landlords, HMO operators & letting agents
Landlord & HMO Asbestos Surveys
Landlords of pre-2000 stock have overlapping duties under CAR 2012, the Housing Act 2004, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and — for HMOs — the mandatory licensing regime. A management survey is the single document that discharges most of them. We deliver one report per property, an aggregated register per portfolio, and free re-issue whenever you change letting agent.
- Portfolio pricing — one quote for many properties
- HMO licensing-ready reporting
- Coordinated access with tenants
- Digital register per property, master register per portfolio
- Independent — no removal upselling
- Fits around tenancy renewals & voids
- UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory partners
- Independent — no removal contracts
- BOHS P402 senior surveyors
- Digital reports (PDF + Excel register)
- Fast turnaround — quote inside 1 hour
- Nationwide UK coverage
Your legal responsibilities as a landlord
Under CAR 2012 you hold the duty to manage asbestos in the non-domestic parts of a rented property — that includes stairwells and communal areas of a converted house, boiler rooms and any shared plant. In HMOs the entire building is treated as non-domestic for CAR 2012 purposes. On top of that, the HHSRS assessment under the Housing Act 2004 lists asbestos as a Category 1 hazard where materials are damaged and accessible. A written asbestos survey is the evidence the local authority, an HMO licensing officer or a tenant's solicitor will ask for.
HMO licensing & selective licensing schemes
Mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants forming more than one household) and additional / selective licensing schemes increasingly ask for an asbestos management plan in the licence application pack. We produce a stand-alone management plan alongside the survey report — the same document that satisfies most schemes.
Portfolio surveying — one visit, one price
Managing five, fifty or five hundred properties? We run rolling programmes with a single point of contact, a portfolio-level fixed price, and a master asbestos register you can share with your letting agent, insurer and lender. Individual property reports are issued to each tenancy pack.
Working around your tenants
Every survey visit is booked through the tenant with 48 hours' notice as standard, or shorter by agreement. Our surveyors are DBS-cleared, uniformed, and carry ID for tenant reassurance. We photograph every room we enter so the tenant has a record — a small detail that removes 90% of complaints.
How it works
A five-step process, no surprises.
1. Book
Send us the address and access notes. You'll get a fixed-price quote by email within one working hour.
2. Visit
We agree a date that works around tenants, staff or works programmes — evenings and weekends included.
3. Survey
A senior surveyor inspects every accessible area, records materials, takes samples where needed and photographs each location.
4. Report
You receive an HSG264-format PDF report with a register, risk assessments, a photo log and (where relevant) a floor-plan overlay — typically within 72 hours.
5. Ongoing advice
Your surveyor is your point of contact. We answer solicitor, contractor and enforcement queries on your report for free, for the life of the property.
Areas covered
Nationwide coverage, local surveyors.
We survey properties across England, Wales and Scotland through a regional rota of BOHS P402 senior surveyors. Same fixed-price approach whether the property is in Kent, Cumbria or Cardiff.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Do I legally need an asbestos survey on a rented property?+
For a wholly domestic single-let, CAR 2012 doesn't formally apply inside the demised area — but HHSRS does, and any damaged, accessible asbestos is a Category 1 hazard. For HMOs and any converted / multi-unit block, CAR 2012 applies and a written management survey is expected. Most landlord insurers now ask for one at renewal.
Are HMO surveys different from single-let surveys?+
Same technical standard (HSG264 management survey) but a wider scope — every communal area, every let bedroom, every kitchen, every plant room. We also produce a stand-alone management plan for licensing.
How much for a portfolio survey?+
Portfolio surveys are quoted per-property with a volume discount. Ten properties booked together typically come in 15–25% cheaper per unit than one-offs. Ask for a portfolio quote — turnaround is one working day.
Can you fit surveys around tenancy changes?+
Yes — many landlords survey during void periods, which is faster and cheaper. If a property is tenanted, we book directly with the tenant and give a 2-hour arrival window.
What if the tenant refuses access?+
We escalate back to you with a written record and re-book. Access refusal by a tenant is a defence against enforcement action provided it's documented — we make sure it is.
Do you report to my letting agent?+
Yes — we can copy the report to any nominated agent, insurer, licensing officer or lender at no extra charge. Re-issues are free for the life of the property.
What about periodic re-inspection?+
We recommend an annual re-inspection for HMOs and 24-monthly for single-lets. Re-inspections are quoted at approximately 50% of an initial survey and can be programmed automatically.
Will the survey damage decoration?+
A management survey is non-intrusive. Sampling is discreet (20mm samples in inconspicuous locations) and reinstated with matching sealant. If a room has been recently redecorated, tell us — we can note it and defer sampling.
Do you cover the whole UK?+
Yes — we operate a UK-wide surveying rota with local surveyors in every region. Same fixed price whether the property is in Kent or Cumbria.
Related services
Continue your research.
If landlords & hmos isn't the right fit, our surveyors also cover Commercial Property Asbestos Surveys, Management Survey (Duty to Manage), Property Investor Asbestos Surveys, Communal Area Asbestos Surveys, Leasehold Flat Asbestos Surveys and Fixed-Price Asbestos Surveys. Every survey uses the same HSG264 methodology, UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory partners and BOHS P402 senior surveyors.
Ready when you are
Get a Landlord Survey Quote.
Fixed-price quote within one working hour. Senior surveyor on site within the working week. Report inside 72 hours of the visit.