LEGAL
The hidden health risk in your home
R
adon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in the ground. Some parts of the country are more likely to have higher exposure levels than others. The radioactive elements decay and transmit radiation which can cause damage to living tissues and increase the risk of cancer.
If there are high levels of Radon in the surrounding area, and you want to see if your property is at risk, detectors can be placed in two areas of your home for a period of 3 months. The detectors are then sent back to the provider who will analyse the results. The provider will advise of any suitable remedial methods should the levels be high.
If you are thinking of purchasing a property, your conveyancer should include a search to reveal if the area is known to have high levels of Radon gas.
If this occurs during the sale process. A buyer may wish to ask the seller for a financial retention pending the result of the tests to enable the transaction to proceed in the meantime. A retention is a sum of money held back from the purchase price and is designed to cover part or all of the costs of remedial action, should this be required as a result of the test. The terms of the retention and the ultimate responsibility for the cost of the works will depend upon what is agreed between the parties.
The Government advises that remedial action should be taken where any residential property has an average annual Radon level of 200 Bq/m3 or more. This is referred to as the ‘Action Level’. Some areas, including Northamptonshire, naturally have higher levels of Radon present.
It’s worthwhile checking with your conveyancer that these searches have been carried out. For more information about Radon and its prevalence visit www.ukradon.org.uk/contact
For the latest local news visit www.nnpulse.co.uk | NN Pulse Magazine | June 2022
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