Telling your landlord that there may be asbestos in your flat

A letter you can copy

What to do:

  • Copy and paste the text below into an email or document.
  • Replace any text [in brackets] with your own information
  • Include details {in curly brackets} if they are relevant, or remove them if they are not.
  • Send the email to your landlord, or print out the document and send it by post.
  • If you are sending by post, keep a copy for yourself and a record of the date that the message was sent.

[Your address]
[Today’s date]

[Name of your contact or landlord]
[Your landlord’s address]

[Your rent/tenant ID number]
{REF: any reference number you were given when previously raising this subject}

Dear [your landlord’s name],

I am a tenant of [name of your block or building] and I am writing to inform you that I [suspect/have become aware] that there is asbestos [in my flat/in the common parts of the building].

[Describe where you believe it to be, and your reasons for believing it is asbestos]

This section of the [flat/building] [is in good repair at the moment but could cause serious health issues if left undetected/has suffered some damage and therefore is of particular concern].

As you will be aware, the law states that once a landlord has been made aware of asbestos in [the common parts of a building, they must make a risk assessment and formulate a plan to manage that risk/a tenant’s flat, it must be sealed or removed by a trained operative.]

This being so, I would be glad if you could contact me at your earliest convenience so that we can arrange a date when you might visit to assess the situation. I look forward to receiving your reply by [date, two weeks in the future] at the latest.

Yours sincerely,
[sign your name]
[print your name]

If you don’t get an answer within two weeks

If you get an unsatisfactory answer, or your landlord considers the matter closed when you don’t, consider making a complaint through the Housing Ombudsman.