If you have recently acquired a mobile home, you may be wondering whether or not it needs an asbestos inspection. There are a variety of times when this may be necessary. Here are some guidelines to help you decide:
1. Your mobile home is more than 25 years old.
Asbestos was used in a range of building applications since the 1800s, and it was used through the 1980s. As a result, if your mobile home was built prior to 1990, it may contain asbestos. Similarly, if you aren't sure how old your mobile home is, you may want to arrange an inspection just to be on the safe side.
2. You see insulation falling out of the walls.
Just because a home has asbestos doesn't mean that it is necessarily dangerous. In some cases, you can live in an older mobile home that has asbestos without being affected at all. The key is to notice whether or not the asbestos is disturbed. In particular, if you see insulation coming out of the walls, that may be a sign of disrupted asbestos that can fly into the air and be inhaled.
3. You see peeling flooring.
In addition to insulation, asbestos was often used in vinyl flooring. Again, if it's not disturbed, it can be relatively safe. However, if you see peeling flooring, that is a sign that you should schedule a test as soon as possible.
4. You plan to rent out the property.
The Australian government has strict rules regarding the presence of asbestos in rental properties, and if your property has asbestos, you may not be able to rent it out, or your existing tenants may need to vacate. Don't get stuck in a situation where you are forced to empty the property. Instead, make sure that it is safe and ready to go by scheduling an asbestos test before you even list it for rent. If you need to remove the asbestos, you can typically deduct the expenses from your rental income.
5. You plan to dispose of the mobile home.
You may think that you just need to be concerned about the presence of asbestos if you are going to live in the mobile home, but in fact, even if you are disposing of the home, you also have to think about asbestos. For example, if you bought a plot of land that has an old mobile home on it, you may want to check the asbestos levels before you arrange for disposal.
Asbestos can be dangerous in landfills, and as a result, you may need to get special permission to throw away a mobile home that has asbestos in it. If you cannot get permission to throw away the home, you may need to hire an asbestos mitigation company to remove the asbestos before you throw out the house.
