Social housing and asbestos
Case reference FOI2026/00254
Received 13 February 2026
Published 23 February 2026
Request
I am looking to find out how many homes in your local authority housing stock are identified as having asbestos. Please answer the following questions:
1. What is your total housing stock under your Local Authority’s management?
2. How many homes under your direct ownership or management have been recorded to have asbestos?
3. How many homes under your direct ownership or management have you deemed may contain asbestos but have not had checks undertaken?
4. How many homes under your direct ownership or management with asbestos are currently occupied ?
5. How many homes under your direct ownership or management are suspected to have asbestos are currently occupied?
6. Can you confirm if you policy is to inform residents living with a home owned or managed by you, which contains asbestos that their home contains asbestos ?
7. Or can you confirm if your policy is to not inform residents living with a home owned or managed by you that they are living with asbestos?
8. Please provide a summary of how you manage asbestos risk in homes owned or managed by you, where the homes are occupied.
Response
1. What is your total housing stock under your Local Authority's management? 24 leased in, 22 TWBC owned & Dowding House (24 flats) and 7 plots at Cinderhill
2. How many homes under your direct ownership or management have been recorded to have asbestos? 21 (45 including Dowding)
3. How many homes under your direct ownership or management have you deemed may contain asbestos but have not had checks undertaken? 0
4. How many homes under your direct ownership or management with asbestos are currently occupied ? 20 (42 including Dowding)
5. How many homes under your direct ownership or management are suspected to have asbestos are currently occupied? 0
6. Can you confirm if you policy is to inform residents living with a home owned or managed by you, which contains asbestos that their home contains asbestos ? It is not policy to inform residents directly that their homes contain asbestos.
7. Or can you confirm if your policy is to not inform residents living with a home owned or managed by you that they are living with asbestos? It is not policy to inform residents directly that their homes contain asbestos.
8. Please provide a summary of how you manage asbestos risk in homes owned or managed by you, where the homes are occupied. Licence agreement with the resident states that they must not disturb/screw into/nail into walls, ceilings and floors and the conditions are verbally reinforced. Pre-void inspection by housing team. Regular inspections while occupied by housing team. Post occupation inspection by housing team. Void inspection by property team. Annual inspection by asbestos term contractor.
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.