Do you own, manage or maintain a building in London that went up before 2000? Then you probably need an asbestos management survey. Duty holders rely on it to meet the law, because it forms the basis of your asbestos register and management plan. Adil Abbasi carries out every asbestos management survey in London himself. He’s a BOHS P402-qualified asbestos surveyor with more than six years’ experience. So far, he has completed over 1,000 surveys for landlords, managing agents, businesses and schools.
A management survey is the standard asbestos survey for buildings in normal use. It finds any asbestos-containing materials that people could damage during everyday activities, routine maintenance or minor works. It also records the condition of each material, so you can decide how to manage it safely.
The survey follows HSE guidance (HSG264). It’s largely non-intrusive. Even so, the surveyor may lift ceiling tiles, open risers or look inside boxing where it’s safe. If the surveyor can’t reach an area, the report says so. You should then treat that area as containing asbestos until someone checks it.
Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 sets out the duty to manage asbestos. It applies to anyone responsible for maintaining or repairing non-domestic premises. In practice, that duty often falls on:
To meet the duty, you need to find out whether asbestos is present, assess its condition and record it. You also need a written management plan. Finally, you must share the information with anyone who might disturb it. A management survey gives you the evidence for all of this.
Private homes don’t fall under the duty to manage. However, the communal areas of flats do, including hallways, stairwells, lift shafts, plant rooms and bin stores.
London’s building stock is old and has seen decades of alterations. Think of a Victorian terrace converted into flats in the 1970s, a 1960s council block or an office refitted in the 1980s. Any of them could contain asbestos. Builders used it widely until the UK banned it in 1999, because it was cheap, durable and fire-resistant.
During management surveys across London, we regularly find asbestos in:
Every survey we carry out includes:
We’ll also explain the findings in plain English, so you know exactly what to do next.
A management survey suits buildings in everyday use. However, it won’t cover areas hidden inside walls, under floors or behind structural elements. Planning a refit, rewiring or knocking through walls? Then you’ll also need a refurbishment survey for those areas. Before demolition, you’ll need a full demolition survey.
Not sure which survey you need? Just tell us what you’re planning, and we’ll recommend the right one. We’ll never sell you a more intrusive survey than your building requires.
A management survey isn’t a one-off job. Materials can deteriorate, and buildings change over time. Most duty holders arrange a re-inspection every 6 to 12 months, depending on the condition and location of the asbestos. We can carry out re-inspections for you and update your register, so it stays accurate.
Prices start from £200 + VAT for a small property. The final cost depends on the size of the building and the number of samples needed.
| Property size | Price (+ VAT) |
|---|---|
| Small (500–2,500 sq ft) | £200 – £500 |
| Medium (2,500–5,000 sq ft) | £500 – £1,000 |
| Large (5,000–10,000 sq ft) | £1,000 – £2,500 |
For multi-site portfolios and larger buildings, we’ll quote individually. In every case, we agree a fixed price before we visit.
We work across London, including Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Brent, Ealing, Barnet and Hillingdon. We also cover nearby counties through our local pages for Harrow, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Luton, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.
Alongside management surveys, we offer refurbishment and demolition surveys, single sample testing, asbestos air monitoring and asbestos testing of soil. We also provide Legionella risk assessments, fire risk assessments, Energy Performance Certificates, property floor plans and lease floor plans. Managing agents often book these together, since we can usually cover them in one visit.
A small office, shop or set of communal areas usually takes a few hours. Larger buildings can take a full day or more. Your report then follows within a few working days.
Very little. We work around your occupants and leave only small, sealed sample points. We’ll also agree a visit time that suits your building.
Not usually, because the duty to manage applies to communal areas. However, we can survey individual flats if a landlord or leaseholder asks us to.
In many cases, the safest option is to leave it in place, label it and monitor it. We’ll give you honest advice and only recommend removal when it’s genuinely needed.
Call Adil on 01442 939006 or 07860 540077, email info@theasbestossurveylondon.co.uk, or send us a message. We’ll reply quickly with a free, fixed quote.