Asbestos Surveys for HMOs & Domestic Rental Properties

Why HMOs Are Treated Differently From a Single Let

If you let a single private dwelling to one household, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) Duty to Manage does not apply to the inside of that home in the same way it does to a workplace. HMOs are different. Because a House in Multiple Occupation involves several unrelated households sharing a building, the shared areas, hallways, staircases, shared kitchens and bathrooms, and communal lounges, are treated as non-domestic premises for asbestos purposes. That means the full Duty to Manage under Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 applies to those common parts, and you, as landlord or managing agent, are very likely the dutyholder.

What Counts as Common Parts in an HMO

Common parts typically include:

• Entrance halls, corridors and stairways
• Shared kitchens, bathrooms and communal lounges used by more than one household
• Shared roof spaces, boiler rooms and service risers
• Shared gardens, yards, outhouses and garages

Individual, self-contained rooms let to a single household are treated more like a private dwelling, but as soon as facilities are shared between separate households, the common parts duty applies.

HMO Licensing and Asbestos Compliance

Any HMO with five or more occupants from two or more households requires a mandatory licence, and many local authorities operate additional licensing schemes covering smaller HMOs too. Local authorities increasingly check asbestos management as part of licensing inspections, and poor asbestos compliance can result in a licence being refused, made conditional, or revoked, putting your ability to legally let the property at risk. Keeping an up-to-date asbestos register and management plan is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate compliance if your property is inspected.

What We Provide for HMO Landlords and Agents

• Common Parts Management Survey: Identifies and assesses asbestos-containing materials in shared hallways, stairwells, kitchens and other communal areas, forming the basis of your asbestos register. Read more about Management Surveys.
• Asbestos Management Plan: A practical document setting out what has been found, its condition, and how it will be monitored, ready to show your local authority as part of licensing.
• Between-Tenancy and Void Period Surveys: The gap between tenancies is often the easiest time to access rooms for survey or re-inspection work without disrupting current tenants.
• Contractor Liaison: We can provide clear information for any tradesperson working on the property, so they know what to avoid disturbing before they start.

Common Places We Find Asbestos in Shared and Converted Properties

Many HMOs are older Victorian or Edwardian houses converted into bedsits, shared student housing, or multiple flats. This kind of conversion work often disturbed or boxed in asbestos-containing materials rather than removing them. We often find asbestos in:

• Textured coatings: Artex-style finishes on hallway and stairwell ceilings, common in properties converted before the 1990s.
• Boiler cupboards and airing cupboards: Particularly where a single boiler serves multiple flats or rooms.
• Floor tiles and adhesives: In shared kitchens and bathrooms, often hidden under later flooring.
• Garage and outbuilding roofs: Corrugated cement sheets on shared outbuildings or bin stores.

Why Choose HSG Surveys for Your HMO or Rental Portfolio

• Portfolio Experience: We work with individual landlords through to letting agents and housing associations managing multiple properties.
• Practical Scheduling: Surveys timed around tenancy changes to minimise disruption to current tenants.
• Fixed, Fair Pricing: Transparent quotes with no hidden fees, whether it’s a single HMO or a wider portfolio.
• Documentation That Holds Up: Clear, dated records that stand up to local authority licensing inspections.

See our full Areas Covered map for the complete list of areas we serve.

Areas Covered