Do I need an asbestos report for my home in France?
I have been told I need to have a report into asbestos to get work done on my home. Is this correct? We did not need this a few years ago. F.B.
This is correct and is a recent change. Since July 19, 2019, private individuals (owners or landlords) have been obliged to carry out an asbestos survey before any work can start on properties built before 1997.
The resulting certificate – rapport de repérage amiante avant travaux (RAT) – must be shown to the tradesmen and, as its name suggests, it should identify if asbestos (amiante) is present.
Depending on the size of the property, it should cost between €90 and €300.
It was part of the loi El Khomri, passed in August 2016, but only came into force this summer.
The objective is to ensure the safety and health of the occupants and also of workers on site.
The survey is more comprehensive than a similar survey required when a property is sold and must be carried out by a qualified and accredited expert.
The reason properties built after 1997 are exempt is because asbestos was banned as a building material that year.
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Even so, it is estimated that asbestos could be responsible for 100,000 deaths in France between 2009 and 2050, according to a study published in 2015 by the Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique.
Question answered by Sarah Bright-Thomas of Bright Avocats
Tel: 05 61 57 90 86 -www.brightavocats.com contact@brightavocats.com
