Tag Archives: Buying Property

05Jun 2012

Property Landlord advice: Buying a House to rent Part 2.

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By Steve Roulstone

Part 2; Make sure it is sound for the future.

In this second of four Blogs about buying a house to rent, I am going to concentrate on the property itself and its long term sustainability. A rental property as an investment should be looked at as at least a ten year term. This is the period of time that history suggests all property will show an improvement in value in. That is what you are purchasing after all, an investment, so at this stage it is important to be sure the property is going to give you the life span you wish for trouble free. Of course, that cannot be guaranteed at such an early stage, but there are several areas that can be researched now to limit any possible expensive problems further down the line.

Floors.

The first major area is the floors on both levels. What are they made from, do they look in good order, is there any evidence of damp on the lower floors? Are the carpets in good order? Does the property smell of damp? If there is a cellar, do not forget to look at the floor boards that will be exposed, this will help you understand the condition of the floor above. Problems apart from damp are if either electrics or heating have been installed as a secondary installation.  Alterations to a house are not always under the heading of modernisation. In the rented house I currently live in, so much was cut away from floorboards to cater for Central Heating pipes, new boards have had to be installed.

Roof.

If at all possible, always look in the loft. Old or badly fitted roof trusses can cost a fortune to replace and if you do not get in to the loft (You can always take your own step ladders and torch) you may never find out. Although it is not just the roof of the house you are looking at that will give any problems away. Have the neighbours had new roofs? If so why? No harm in knocking on a door to find out.  Upstairs the problems to watch out for are the same, only this time the damp will be from the roof, so look out for signs of damp ceilings or condensation spots, such as old bathrooms with new appliances, the two do not always go together.

Electrics.

Two points for consideration here, firstly have the electrics been modernised and secondly do they need to be modernised. To look at the latter first, with today’s electronic requirements, a lack of plug points becomes a serious problem. I have known Tenants to phone and ask for increased plug points when a property only had two per room, and because the Landlord said no, they moved. Risk of an empty property is always to be avoided! The point that must be considered is do you want Tenants to have to run extension cables everywhere? If plug points are not supplied, they will have little option. Therefore re-wiring is a cost that will have to be born at some stage. If it has already been done, then a certificate by a competent electrician will have been provided. You will need to see it before proceeding, to prove the installer was competent and that the work was carried out to safe standards. Because of your duty of care to a Tenant, without such evidence, it would be difficult to prove you had provided it!

Heating.

Another area where DIY installations are to be avoided! I was once asked to manage a house, where the DIY work was so bad, three Tenants could have died in the same instance, two from electrics and the third gassed because of lack of ventilation. Luckily we checked it all first. Central Heating which works and is efficient is a given nowadays. It has to be remembered that the selection of property is growing, cutting corners with either insufficient heating or inefficient heating is a situation to be avoided. Therefore, if new heating has been fitted then again, you need to know when and by whom? Ask for running costs as they should give you a feel for a problem if you think one exists. The boiler is then the piece of equipment that could cost the most, check its age and if it has been serviced on a regular basis?

Eyes open.

The first viewing, which if possible should be avoided at a time when the property is empty (else who will answer your questions?) Is the time to remove yourself from the feeling of being a proud owner of property. This is the time to consider all possible problems, who owns which boundary? Is it clear where boundaries lie? I always stop in each room and turn slowly, then do the same outside, front and back, garage and sheds, this is the best time to walk away – before you have actually started!

31May 2012

Property Landlord advice: Buying a House to rent. Part 1.

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By Steve Roulstone

 

There have been several questions asked and answered in the press lately, covering several aspects of buying a property to rent. So I have decided to write down what we at Castle Estates consider to be the most important matters for consideration when buying a property for the rental market.

Parts 1 through 4.

I will be writing the Guide in four parts dealing with what to do from the start to completion. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, rather pointing you in the right direction. Other matters are bound to arise as you progress through financing, choosing an Agent, dealing with Insurance and then finding the property and making comparisons to decide which property is best value for money.

Part 1; Choosing your Finances, Insurance, Accountant and Agent.

Before you even arrange your first viewing of a property, it is a good idea to ensure firstly that you have the right finance to be able to purchase a rental home, especially with the current mortgage availability. Size of deposit will be crucial and by speaking with a mortgage broker (always better to ask your friends for a recommendation if you are unsure, you will be surprised just how many are also Landlords!) you will get a feel for exactly what calculations are needed to ensure the mortgage will be covered by the rent.

Insurances.

It is popular now to call Buildings Insurance for a rental property Landlords Insurance nowadays. It is not, it is Buildings Insurance, but you would still be better to speak to those who specialise in the rental market rather than mainstream Insurance providers, who always seem to offer Landlords Insurance as a premium. Some Mortgage Companies now insist on their own Insurance policies, ensure you are aware before committing to a mortgage what the cost is. It could make your mortgage less competitive! There is also proper Landlords Insurance to be considered. Your Agent will assist here, but Industry recognised meaning of Landlords Insurance is a policy that offers Guaranteed rent if the Tenant fails to pay the rent and Legal expenses to remove the Tenant as quickly as possible and of course, using Industry specialist experts to carry out the role!

 Accountants.

Unfortunately, Income from your rental property is taxable. Therefore you should seek advice from an Accountant so that your income is properly accounted for at the end of each year. When this additional income is small, I know that some consider an Accountant to be a cost they could do without, but speaking from experience, I have never been disappointed by the savings they have been able to make, compared with the cost of ensuring you are legal with the Taxman. By law, we have to advice Income tax offices of every penny paid to Landlords each year.  Therefore if the taxman knows what has been earned from the property, it makes sense to ensure you have claimed against every bit of allowable expenditure you can. The best person to do that for you is an accountant!

Agent.

Well I would suggest Castle Estates wouldn’t I! The legality surrounding this market means that we would suggest a professional Letting Agency to look after your property. In short, these are some of the reasons why; Ability to credit reference Tenants, Regular property visits, Time served arrears chasing systems, Knowledge of the industry and the law, Professional Inventories, Professional agreements and clauses and a network of Maintenance Contractors. What you need to do is choose one before you start. Make sure they are associated with a professional industry body and belong to such organisations as Safe Agent and The Property Ombudsman. After all, they will be able to advice you at every turn and all at no cost until such time as you yourself are earning from the property. (A genuine case of free advice)

18May 2012

Property Landlord advice: Annual Rent Increases show current market trends.

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By Steve Roulstone

I recently wrote that a scheme being tried by a local Council in Staffordshire to encourage house sales was an excellent idea and one that if it worked be copied in other areas. At the time I wrote it I was aware that it may be difficult for some to understand why a Letting Agent should be happy to see house sales moving again when so many houses are entering the rental market purely because they cannot sell in this market?

Perfect answer!

Well one of our regular routine annual procedures has provided an answer as to why in a way far better than anything I could find to articulate my thoughts at the time of writing about the Council. The procedure is the annual rent review, which, because Landlords are able to increase rent once per year, we undertake in the spring because it is the most natural time for prices to increase in what is normally the time when the market shows its best increase through increased activity.

Hard task.

We do of course discuss each scenario with our Landlords so that they are both aware and happy with any proposed increase and I must confirm that it is good to see so many Landlords this year being realistic about both the market and the current Tenants capacity to pay any increase. But each eligible property has had to be reviewed carefully. As a rule, we would normally only recommend an increase that kept the rent below the current market price, an approach which rarely meets with anything but approval from our Landlords, but the numbers of available properties at present as meant that we need to have a very good picture of those very rates!

Large increase in numbers.

It is a fact that the number of properties coming to the market is still high and Tenants do have plenty of selection when looking for a home and are on average looking at far more properties than they would normally do (possibly twice as many if our viewing diary is anything to go by!) but this has of course had an effect on the achievable prices as more and more offers are made as Tenants try to catch a bargain. Of course we manage them in a way that reflects what we expect to happen so we are very aware of what rent we are liable to achieve still for our Landlords!

Less houses in this case will be better!

And this is the evidence that confirms my view of any scheme which encourages more movement in the housing market. There is also no doubt that we are seeing as many if not more Tenants as we would expect at this time of year, the problem for so many Landlords is that there are at least twice as many houses if not more on the market. It is easy therefore to see that should houses start to sell again; the rental market will also improve as what we consider normality would be resumed.

Competition will stay.

Estate Agents do of course still have and will continue to have the ability to speak to any owner of a property that is failing to be sold and will no doubt offer the rental option before the Traditional Letting Agent even gets the opportunity to speak to owners. So be it, it is a situation we have lived with for the last three years and we are still getting more than our share of the properties available.

Market share.

But what tells us this will not change even if house sales do make a dramatic recovery this year, is that the Private Rental market now accounts for over 20% of UK housing stock at current rising trends. (Figures will be confirmed next year) so we as Agents will learn to live with the increased competition, but I still see increasing sales as a good thing for Landlords and hopefully by the time we carry out our rent review next year, the new figure will be easier to calculate!

03May 2012

Current Property News: Council and Mortgage provider offer key to the future?

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By Steve Roulstone

 

An unusual link has been formed in the launch of a new scheme to assist first time buyers in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Leek United Building Society has put together a scheme with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to offer 95% mortgages to those who cannot afford the usual 25% deposit currently required by most mortgages but can afford the monthly re-payments.

 

Target audience.

 

The scheme is targeted at first time buyers who either live or work in the Staffordshire Moorlands catchment area. Presumably for the property being purchased to be acceptable, the house will need to be within the Moorlands catchment area. This can only be looked upon as a good idea by Staffordshire Moorlands Council, who will presumably attract more Council Tax payers for the region and at the same time removing pressure on the Council’s social housing needs.

 

Finances.

 

The idea is that the Council will approve purchasers providing they meet with the rules of the scheme and then act as Guarantor for the payment of the monthly mortgage.  Also fees chargeable appear to be very transparent from the start, so those looking to sign up should be able to budget all costs applicable prior to applying. The role of the third party (Sector Treasury Services Ltd) listed as part of the agreement is not made clear, but I would presume that they are able to assist in the 5% deposit required.

 

Timescale.                      

 

The scheme is only available for a short period until the end of August 2012, but hopefully it will be a success and it is certainly one that I shall be keeping an eye on. If it does prove successful, hopefully other Councils will also be keen to look at the implications and results as it would seem to me to be an innovative way of dealing with the perennial problem for first time buyers, especially with the current mortgages that are available.

 

Market effect.

 

I also feel that it is an idea which will have little effect on the rental market, which you will forgive me for considering. Yes there may be some reduction in Tenants, but at a time when the market needs any kind of encouragement it can get, especially in an area like the Moorlands who rely on the more traditional industries which are probably affected more by the current financial uncertainty than most it is good to see people thinking outside of the box. Time will of course tell, but I for one applaud the positive move. Hopefully when tested there will be enough people willing and able to fulfil the criteria set out by those concerned in this laudable initiative.

25Apr 2012

Property Landlord advice: Things to consider when Buying to Let.

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By Steve Roulstone     

    

As the property market trundles on with its slow recovery, one thing that is noticeable is the increase in the number of people who are considering purchasing a property again for their rental market. In many cases this is existing Landlords who have property with us already and have arrived at the position where they have built a deposit to purchase another property, for as we all know, a significant deposit is now needed before a mortgage can be agreed. But we are also being asked by people looking to buy for the first time, as property becomes the preferred investment because of the lack of return from deposit accounts and the continued risk of traditional share investment markets.

Good planning.

I would have to say, that for those who chose tracker mortgages the current return from rental property has been significantly improved. Far from the reported problems that Landlords are supposed to be suffering when house prices dropped, good planning has led to an increase in revenue as the mortgages have dropped significantly. This has meant an opportunity, be it delayed as a sufficient deposit has been saved, for further purchases to be made and at a time, as I have reported recently, when property prices have started to grow again.

Sound advice.

But even for those who own property, it is always a good idea to discuss and visit the principles about what makes a good Buy to Let property again. This means that we are being asked to advice people more and more and we are always happy to do so. Our principal has always been good honest clear advise, even if it means saying no to a current opportunity, will in the long run, either when a potential Landlord returns or because of word of mouth that our advice can be trusted even when it does mean telling somebody that a property is not right for the rental market, will eventually pay off and at least we can sleep well at night!

 Points to consider.

So when considering property there are two areas that we believe should be considered in some cases even before you visit the property, so before a viewing is arranged, consider the following:

 Area concerned; Is it a popular area of the Town or City you are looking at. Or is the village on a sensible route.

Popularity of type of property; Is this the right property for the market. Flats or Family homes (such as three bed semi detached) are the common decision to be made and at times, depending on the size of available deposit, a careful look will be needed

Open to all markets; Such as is there a bath? Don’t forget that only having a shower will cut out everybody with small children.

Property facilities; Where are the local shops, bus routes, what are the standard of the local schools and where is the centre that people will head to for entertainment. This may not be important to you, but it will be for the Tenant.

Once inside.

The obvious consideration when you actual view the property is how much work has been done to the property and by whom? I have actually been in a property this week that has been altered beyond comparison from the original build, but by a builder owner and you can see the quality as soon a s you step inside. But be careful, I have also been in a property that a DIY enthusiast had left in such a poor state that three occupants could have been killed by fumes from the fire, electrocuted in a bath of water and by using too many appliances in a kitchen, and all the other occupants of the road would have known would have been a dimming of the lights!

List the advantages.

 Then most importantly, list all the good points. Do this when you are comparing property and you will find a decision can quite often be made for you! Garage or car-port? Drive or on road parking? En-suite or not? Conservatory or not? Low or high maintenance garden? One or two reception rooms? The property that ticks the right number of boxes will be the one that is more popular.

Good value.

This means that price is not the most important consideration, but when the bricks and mortar continue to be the main investment and the rent should serve to pay the rent and allow you to build up a maintenance reserve, that value will in the end remain constant and the property should produce less down time (between Tenants) and that of course, is what we as Agents strive to produce for all of our Landlords.

18Apr 2012

Current Property News: Rightmove figures give insight for purchasers.

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By Steve Roulstone

In surfing the net for Current Property News, I note with interest two sets of figures that have been published this week. Firstly the Rightmove calculation of asking prices throughout the country and secondly The Average House guide published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Bothe offer many varied statistics, breaking down details by region and County as well as National.

Significance of the gap.

When you look at the two headline figures, it is quiet significant that the asking price on average across the Country is £20,000 higher than the actual selling price and with the push of the Rightmove report being that on average house prices are at an all time high again across the Country, it does look as if sellers, knowing they will get offers no matter how the word the price within sales particulars, are asking at a higher level and negotiating on average a 10% lower price than that asked for.

Significant difference.

But what is also apparent is that the difference in average prices between London and the rest of the Country is vast and still growing. Since the peak of 2008, prices in London have risen by 14.9% whereas prices in the rest of the UK have fallen by 4.3% during the same period. This such a significant swing that it does make the average figures somewhat irrelevant, but the regional figures given by Rightmove are very informative and definitely give significant information for those needing to track values across this time frame.

Solid information.

It is good for all interested parties to receive information both in this manner and broken down in to regional statistics that both reports give. For example I have a property myself that was initially marketed in late 2007, it is currently rented (no surprise there then!) but as the Tenant has asked about the opportunity to purchase, it is easy for me to work out what would be the current price using the averages published in these reports. Both parties can use then for the same reasons, definitely allowing initial conversations to take place without the expense or time needed to get the property re-valued.

Assistance.

I cannot see how this situation does anything but assist people by keeping them informed. For the professionals, some of the mystique of pricing houses is removed, giving the vendor and buyer better confidence in the asking price and indeed any offers made as well. A definite win – win situation and I applaud Rightmove in particular for the manner in which they present the information and make it easily available for all.

Look and you will find.

The only disappointment and yes there had to be one! Is that the BBC who I have oft criticised for the way in which they place a negative spin on anything to do with the housing market have chosen to scale down the amount of reporting now that the shock and horror of house prices falling has lessened and we have all learnt to live with what the market delivers? Like most, I see slow growth continuing which most commentators agree with. It seems the BBC is only happy to give more time to the housing market when it gives them the opportunity to report on bad news and it looks as though our market will continue to receive little air time from the BBC for the foreseeable future. Time will tell if I am right!

06Mar 2012

Current Property News: ARLA give solid advice.

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By Steve Roulstone

It is good to see ARLA posting some advice for Landlords and Ian Potter in his latest release has done just that by providing his top ten list of’ what to do as a new Landlord’. It is a good article and reflects what we at Castle Estates have been stating for some time now, namely, take good advice!! Ian concentrates on several areas, most of which are similar to those I commented on as listed in my local paper, and as then, I would like to add a little more meat to the bone through this post, something that is of course difficult for Ian to do as a representative of our Professional body, rather than a ‘Letting Agent’ parse.

More property needed!

The background to the piece is again, the increasing opportunity that exists in the current market for the investment Landlord, with figures quoted of over half of those Agents questioned believing that demand is outstripping supply. I would have hoped the figure were more like three-quarters, but would concede that the market is rising after a quite Winter and that it should continue to do so until well after Easter, the traditional time to see the Market develop momentum for the year.

Research Research Research!

Ian has stated rightly so, that a new investor will need to look at what gives any one property an advantage over another, but I believe we can be more specific here. The investor may not know at present which are the better schools, where catchment areas start and finish and such basic matters as what DOES make a difference to Tenants when looking at property? This is of course where experience of an area comes in to play and not just as a Letting agent, but how long in this market. I do not wish to turn this into an Estate Agent Vrs Letting agent piece, but suffice to say, most Estate Agents have only just started renting property and I would say look to the longer established specialist before deciding who to speak with.

Present well and Know the market.

Ian is correct to point our areas where a property can stand or fall and in some cases is ignored by Landlords, that is the appearance against what else is available for the Tenants to choice from and an understanding when doing the calculations, of what actually happens between Tenants during void periods. Both of these matters reflect on the financial and are well lined together. We always advise all Landlords, especially new to buying property as an investment, to look at the income based on ten months occupancy (but would normally be able to supply eleven as our track record confirms!) and even if the property is good enough to market without delay, work out how long before decoration should be planned! Cost implications of both need to be built in to every financial plan and if you are unsure about condition of decoration, then it probably proves the property would benefit from work being carried out now!

 Insurance and Inventory.

I link these together because everybody knows that Insurance protects, but not everybody gets that an Inventory does as well, because the Inventory has become one of the most important documents when renting a property. Landlords and agents have to be able to prove any dilapidations at the end of the Tenancy and without an Inventory I fail to see how this can be done. One simple challenge from a Tenant for the Landlord to prove what condition the property was in at the start of the Tenancy and without an Inventory, the Landlord cannot comply!

And for the rest?

It is all great! The more the subject is looked at the more you will realise that there is a process, not always the same,  but one that will make sure the first time Landlord does not slip up at the first hurdle. The other point is that there will never be a shortage of people willing to spread their knowledge and all that any new Landlord needs to do is ask! All the Landlord has to do is ask the right person. That is why I believe in professional qualifications and vote for experience every time!

02Mar 2012

Current Property News: Spring Market difficult to call.

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By Steve Roulstone

So we arrive at the time when we start to think of the spring, when Tesco sell more fabric conditioner than any other time of the year, when we all confirm our first sighting of a spring lamb and when the property market looks towards an increase in business as people look to make that move after the winter (said with the full knowledge that next week we are getting winter weather again, at least temperature wise!)

Normal Pattern.

It is normally the case that the spring is a busy market for the rental market and while we have seen more activity since the last cold snap, the question that remains unanswered and will go a long way to proving if confidence in the economy is rising again, is will we see the expected rise in activity or not. Apart from a return to normal temperatures next week, if we do get another bout of winter weather, it will definitely slow movement down, because after viewing property in the dark, nobody wants to spend a day looking at houses with snow on the ground!

Job confidence.

No weather aside, it is the job market which will provide the ammunition as apart from natural movement around Landlords selling or wanting to choose bigger or smaller accommodation, it is people moving with work, which in the main is new posts being filled, that feeds the market and provides a base for any busy period. So the link between a good market, sales or lettings, is clearly linked to confidence in the economy overall.

Nobody knows.

The problem at the moment is nobody knows and whilst we have just gone through a quieter winter than normal, London, which is usually the barometer that the rest of the country follows, has maintained its movement and after a slow period, we usually get a natural climb purely because people catch up on the move they were going to make, but waited to see how matters panned out? (Mainly financial of course) So all the signs are there and not just in trends:

Mortgage matters.

There has also been a rise in all matters surrounding the Mortgage market, with increases in numbers and availability of specialist mortgages, as the ‘Buy to Let’ market is also showing signs of increasing again, which adds fuel to the fire that house prices have stopped declining. In fact stories centred on the mortgage market abound at present and I wonder how many are reporter led and how many are industry fed?

Budget.

And of course with an impending budget and whatever impact the markets take on the content, will undoubtedly play a major part of any increase in activity. For me, it is not so much what is stated, unless the chancellor has some hidden move to stimulate housing, because nowadays most of the changes are heralded well in advance, it is how the financial report on the current state of play of United Kingdom PLC is received that will have the major effect.

Forecast.

Well this is something that I do not normally do, but for what it is worth, I think that we will see slow movement until after the Budget and depending upon those figures and any adjustments made by the chancellor to reflect the performance, it will be after the budget before we see any major change (a kind of Housing Equinox if you will) and this will reflect just how confident the markets are in that performance and the chancellors views going forward, so I am afraid I am sitting on the fence, good confidence, good growth, poor confidence and we will see a steady market for probably the next six months.

28Feb 2012

Property Landlord advice: Who knows about Buy to Let?

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By Steve Roulstone

 

Buy to Let seems to be making a comeback, certainly as far as the press are concerned anyway, with several articles being published both at National level and at regional level. One such article in the local paper we advertise in,  The Newsletter in Stafford caught my eye this week and whilst in principal it is a good article, i gleaming issue did come to mind!

Ten Top Tips!

The article was giving what the writer called, his ten top tips when considering But to Let and I would have to agree with most of what was written, what I would take issue with is what was NOTR written. On two occasions in the article, it mentioned speaking to people who had experience in the field, such as others that the reader may already know who had invested in the property.

Who Knows Best?

It even stated that you can use Managing agents to look after your property although we would raise a charge for doing so! Excuse the Sinicism here, but I am yet to find an Estate Agent who would do this for free, or a Solicitor that would provide an agreement at no charge! Of course we would charge and in relation to both of the professions I have just highlighted, could assist in ensuring the purchase was done correctly, especially with so many properties being linked to on site Management Companies now and the agreement we would provide would be certainly as good as any solicitor, but nowhere near as expensive! Sounds different put like that doesn’t it!

Blindingly obvious who to speak to!

No what the article never suggested was the blindingly obvious place to get good experienced advise is from your Professional Letting agent. It is disappointing not to be recognised for the service we can provide and the knowledge we can pass on! I know from the people who have come to us and just how many we have assisted in buying property, that we do a good job here. Yes we do turn such contacts in to business and we do charge! But we have never forced anybody to hand over there keys or their money! Rather that as professionals in the field, the advice has been such that our Landlords have CHOSEN to use our services and the many happy Landlords we have are living proof, that the professional Agent should be top of the tree when considering top tips.

Professional.

Now regular readers of my blogs will know that I take every opportunity to blow the trumpet of professionalism. Well there is no difference on this occasion. The whole point here is to ensure it is the right Agent and that the advice is good advice. Whilst we continue to wait for the Government to bring in the legislation to make professionalism in our industry the norm, all you have to do to ensure you are dealing with a Company that conforms, is look for the (or ask for the) evidence of the professional bodies they belong to.

Check it out

At Castle Estates in Stafford, we are members of ARLA, (NFOPP) and belong to the ‘Safe Agent’ scheme, as well as being members of The Property Ombudsman. By checking and reviewing the organisations (and all this can be done before you even speak to anybody, because the logos, will all be clearly shown on an Agents web site) you can be sure you are speaking to a professional Agent  and therefore receiving good advice, now isn’t that what we all want? 

24Feb 2012

Duty of Care liabilities incurred when instructing a contractor

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By Mike Edwards

Late last year a letting agent was hit with £4,000 of fines and costs after a self-employed handyman was exposed to asbestos while carrying out work on a client’s property. The case highlighted health and safety legislation responsibilities for agents and indeed Landlords instructing self-employed contractors, in particular preparing risk assessments of properties and checking the competence of those who carry out maintenance jobs. All too often the concern is that the contractor is qualified and won’t blow up the property – but there is a Duty of Care at Common Law on those instructing contractors in terms of their safety.       
 

This would apply to obvious issues like asbestos and other suspect materials, but could also involve working at heights or even, as in a case only last month, safety  and appropriate equipment for working across car port and conservatory etc rooves. An elderly handyman fell through a carport roof and the agent was prosecuted by H&S Executive and were fined £76,000 because the incident involved a fatality.              

In last year’s case the handyman, who does not wish to be named, regularly carried out work on properties managed by agents in Cardiff.  In October 2011, the handyman was sent to a domestic property to fix a leaking porch roof. 
As he was removing a sheet of material from the underside panel of the damaged roof, he realised the insulation board contained asbestos. The sheet was broken during removal and the surrounding area was contaminated with asbestos debris. The Health and Safety Executive, prosecuting, told the Magistrates’ Court the removal of the panel and the sweeping up and bagging of the debris would have resulted in a significant release of asbestos fibres into the air. The handyman wore two dust masks while removing the board, but did not undergo any decontamination procedures and was not wearing a protective, disposable suit. The court heard the fibres could have contaminated his hair, skin and clothing and may also have been inhaled.        
 
The HSE investigation found the handyman had not been given any indication that asbestos was present in the property. Nor had he attended, as all contractors would be well advised to, a regionally based asbestos awareness training day. No risk assessment was carried out, and the agents were unable to demonstrate they had made any attempt to ensure he was competent to identify or work with asbestos. A licensed asbestos contractor was later called in to decontaminate the area. Meanwhile the agent  was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and fined £1,500 with £2,500 costs.

 
HSE said: “There are specific rules and laws regarding hazardous substances like asbestos. If we do not enforce these laws, people’s health can be put at serious risk. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and should be treated with extreme caution. “Those in charge of maintenance and repair of buildings must ensure work is carried out by competent tradesmen, and that consideration is given to the presence of hazards such as asbestos.”

Agents should be aware of these risks, and act accordingly. You don’t need to be a building surveyor to understand that asbestos was widely used in old properties, and that it is extremely hazardous if disturbed. If you’re taking on a property that potentially has asbestos in the construction then you should carry out a risk assessment either when listing it, or at least prior to any work being carried out on it. Making yourself aware of the legislation and risks involved surrounding asbestos is a small price to pay for the sake of a contractor’s life.