Can we sell a house with an asbestos roof?
You wish to put in sale your house in Collioure or elsewhere in France but your house contains asbestos. Can we sell a house with an asbestos roof? Discover all the information in this article.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a material that was extremely popular in the construction industry during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
The asbestos had for action the thermal, phonic insulation and also as fire protection . It is used to cover the ceilings and floors of a house.
What are the dangers?
This substance was originally considered a harmless material, but was classified as a potential carcinogen with increasing health risk in the 1980s.
Steps have been taken to reduce the problem of asbestos in homes, but it is still present in some areas of the country.
Asbestos laws
A large number of laws have been passed by the French Parliament concerning asbestos.
- In 1985, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) recognized asbestos as a carcinogen.
- In 1990, the material was banned in France.
- In 1994, the IAC (Information Center on Asbestos) was created and set up a national plan for the prevention of health risks.
- In 1997, the WHO signed a convention to prevent the risks of exposure to asbestos fibres.
- In 2005, a law was voted to recognize the impacts of asbestos as an occupational disease, with a compensation fund.
- In April 2013, regulations for private homes went into effect. This concerns dwellings built before January 1, 1949 and those built between 1949 and July 1, 1997.
The treatment of an asbestos roof
The methods for treating an asbestos roof depend on the types of materials used and the amount of asbestos in your roof.
They can be done in two ways.
Encapsulation or containment of asbestos
This consists of isolating the asbestos area on the roof so that there are no more particles in the air. It avoids the complete removal of the roof.
Asbestos removal and decontamination
This is a definitive solution and the most recommended by professionals. It is a process toremove the presence of asbestos on the roof that must be done by specialists.
Selling a house with asbestos
You want to sell your house but it has asbestos? In all cases, the seller must warn the buyer of the presence of asbestos. These are exposure risks that must be mentioned.
1) If there is a small amount in the home
In case of low quantity of asbestos, be reassured: your home can be sold. It will only depend on whether the problem can be treated at low cost.
If you have a small amount of asbestos in the home, it does not make the home unfit for use. It is not mandatory to remove asbestos.
2) If the dwelling contains a significant amount
If you have a significant amount of asbestos in your home, it is mandatory to remove it.
This is an expensive but mandatory solution. It is also compulsory to inform the purchaser as soon as the contract is signed.
Asbestos diagnosis
The diagnosis must be made by a professional certified by the State. To verify the competency of the asbestos service provider, you can contact the Asbestos Management Centre (AMC). This diagnosis concerns housing with a building permit issued before July 1997.
How does the asbestos diagnosis work?
The diagnosis to detect asbestos must be performed by a certified professional.
He will check all the elements that may contain asbestos in your property: the roof, the false ceilings, the floor tiles, the siding, the pipes, the insulation... If in doubt, he or she can perform a laboratory analysis by sample.
The diagnosis costs between 100 and 200 €. The price varies according to the size of the accommodation.
The result of the asbestos diagnosis must be attached to the promise to sell.
Is an asbestos diagnosis mandatory?
The asbestos diagnosis is mandatory as soon as the property has a building permit issued before July 1997. It must be performed by a certified professional. The owner is liable if the diagnosis is neglected.
To mention the presence or absence of asbestos in the dwelling, the seller is obliged to carry out an asbestos diagnosis.
In case of absence of diagnosis, the buyer will have the possibility of engaging the responsibility of the salesman to the court for reason"hidden defect".
The buyer can also go to court to ask for the cancellation of the transaction or the reduction of the sale price.
Other mandatory diagnostics
Within the framework of the sale of your property, there are other obligatory diagnoses to be carried out:
- The DPE (diagnosis of energy performance)
- The CREP (report of risk of exposure to lead)
- The ERP (state of risks and pollution)
- The state of the non-collective sanitation installation