Asbestos inspection mandatory
During 2022, when selling a home built before 2001, it is mandatory to issue an asbestos inspection or asbestos certificate to the owner. Buildings entirely built after 2001 can be excluded by the asbestos expert from further inspection.
For a renovated home, the asbestos expert must judge, on the basis of the on-site findings and the available supporting documents, whether certain construction parts or elements from before 2001 have been retained. Those parts and elements then fall within the materials to be inspected. The asbestos inspection drawn up by the asbestos expert describes the asbestos-containing material in all parts of the home, regardless of use, in an asbestos certificate.
Purpose of the asbestos inspection
The buyer knows where asbestos is present in the building and how to deal with it correctly.
When is an asbestos inspection needed:
Since 2022, an asbestos inspection is required when selling a home built before 2001.
- The obligation lies with the owner
- When renting out, the owner provides tenants with a copy of the asbestos certificate or the asbestos inspection
- Introducing a sectoral quality assurance system of certified asbestos experts
Drawing up at transfer requires a non-destructive building inspection - For the common parts within the co-ownership, a separate asbestos inspection is provided
- From 2032 mandatory for every building owner
Who draws up the asbestos inspection?
Only a recognised asbestos expert can draw up the asbestos inspection by carrying out a non-destructive inspection of all asbestos-containing materials in a home. You can follow the asbestos expert training at Praxis; every participant who wants to become a certified asbestos expert through OVAM and draw up an asbestos certificate, as well as all persons who want to further deepen their knowledge of asbestos inventory, can follow the asbestos inventory course.
Asbestos expert training
Content of the asbestos inspection
The content of an asbestos inspection contains a description of all asbestos-containing materials in a building, part of a building or several buildings and associated constructions. Only one inspection location can be chosen in the database for drawing up the asbestos certificate. An inspection location can consist of one of the following possibilities:
- address (municipality, street, house number);
- address + box number;
- address + several box numbers;
- a parcel number (+ location address).
A housing unit for drawing up the asbestos inspection has the necessary residential facilities to function autonomously and has its own lockable access from the public road, a yard or a shared circulation space. The minimum necessary residential facilities are:
- living space (with sleeping area);
- its own toilet;
- its own bath or shower;
- its own kitchen or kitchenette.
Validity period of an asbestos inspection
The standard validity period of an asbestos inspection is 10 years. The asbestos inspection can be reduced by a certified asbestos expert in asbestos inventory on the basis of the guidelines described in the inspection protocol.
The 10-year validity period for the asbestos inspection only applies in the case of an unchanged state of the home or construction. In the case of a changed state, the owner requests a new asbestos inspection within one year of establishing the change. The asbestos inventory report is valid for 10 years.
Reduced validity period of the asbestos inspection:
The validity period of the asbestos inspection can be reduced in one or more of the cases below:
- New asbestos-containing materials have been found
- Work has been carried out that affects the findings of the existing asbestos inspection
- The condition of asbestos-containing materials has visibly changed due to a calamity or incident
Benefits of the asbestos inspection
- Informing and protecting building owners and tenants
- Identification of asbestos risk situations
- Enabling the removal of asbestos-containing material
- Overview of the asbestos present in the building
- Useful information for fire services and service providers
- Avoiding hidden defects at transfer (sale, usufruct, …)
Requesting or consulting an asbestos inspection
The central management of the asbestos inspection is done by OVAM. After correct input of the asbestos inventory by the asbestos inspector, OVAM issues the asbestos certificate or asbestos inspection to the asbestos expert. The asbestos inspection and information also appear in the housing pass (woningpas), in the digital passport of the home.