# Who is responsible for asbestos in our building?

Check responsibility for maintenance and repair before deciding what survey or management work is needed.

Jurisdiction: England, Wales, Scotland
Source check: 2026-11-03. Editorial status: source-checked draft; specialist sign-off pending.

## Who this covers
People with maintenance or repair responsibilities for non-domestic buildings and common parts of multi-occupancy domestic buildings.

## The requirement
Establish whether asbestos is present or presume it is, assess its condition and risks, maintain a register and manage exposure. Give relevant information to anyone who could disturb it.

## Practical steps
- Check the lease and maintenance responsibilities.
- Find existing survey records and assess whether they are sufficient for the planned work.
- Keep the register and management plan current and share them before work starts.

## Common mistake
A management survey is not automatically enough for intrusive refurbishment. Do not disturb suspected materials while waiting for advice.

## Timing
HSE says to review the management plan every 12 months, or sooner if necessary, and monitor material condition.

## Questions for a provider
- Is the survey suitable for our planned work?
- Are there inaccessible areas or assumptions we need to resolve?
- How will you assess and report material condition?

## Official sources
- [HSE: the duty to manage asbestos](https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/duty/)
- [HSE: asbestos FAQs](https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/faq.htm)

General information, not an assessment or a statement that a business is compliant.


## Check the information before commissioning building work

### Before you commission work
Give the surveyor a clear description of the planned work and the areas it may disturb. Include previous surveys and their restrictions. A contractor pricing a fit-out needs relevant building information early enough to plan; sending a register after arrival can leave important questions unresolved.

### Follow through on the result
Ask how the findings affect the proposed project and which areas still need investigation. Keep the scope and limitations with the report when sharing it, rather than circulating a reassuring summary on its own. Update the management information after relevant work so future contractors do not rely on superseded assumptions.

## Related buying guides
- [Asbestos survey quotes: management or refurbishment survey?](https://whatcompliance.com/buying-guides/asbestos-survey-quotes)

## Buying the right work
- Check the lease and the parts of the building each party maintains.
- Find the register, management plan and earlier survey limitations.
- Describe proposed refurbishment or intrusive work before asking for a survey price.

## What you can do yourself
You can assemble records, clarify responsibilities and make sure contractors receive relevant information. Assess your competence before taking on the technical parts of asbestos management.

## When to get help
Use competent specialists for surveying and any work that may disturb asbestos. Do not sample or disturb a suspect material simply to find out what it is.

## Records to keep
- The asbestos register and survey scope, including inaccessible areas.
- A current management plan and condition checks.
- Evidence that people who might disturb materials received the relevant information.

## Does suspected asbestos always have to be removed?
Do not assume removal is the first step. The duty is to manage the risk, and a competent assessment should determine what is appropriate for the material, condition and planned work.

## Is the landlord automatically the dutyholder?
The duty can fall on an owner, landlord or someone with maintenance or repair responsibilities. Check the actual arrangement.

Source check for this expanded guide: 2026-11-03. Specialist sign-off pending.