NAEA Propertymark supports air pollution disclosure

Estate agents have been encouraged to routinely disclose air pollution figures to home buyers.

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The Central Office of Public Interest (COPI), a non-profit campaign, has launched addresspollution.org. This online database uses data from King's College London to give the level of nitrogen dioxide at a given postcode – initially in London, but the site mentions a planned expansion to other areas – and compares it to the World Health Organisation's annual legal limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.

Air quality is now public information. It is important that agents make all information affecting a property available to buyers, and environmental consideration are vital in offering consumers an informed choice.

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Mark Hayward Chief Executive | NAEA Propertymark

NAEA Propertymark believes that providing this information should be standard practice for agents. People are spending longer in their homes, and the quality of the environment is more important than ever, particularly to those raising a young family. 

While addresspollution.org is new, NAEA Propertymark has championed the use of air quality information for some time. Speaking in 2017 to BBC Radio London, Mark said: 

'I think anything that would affect someone's decision to buy should be there to be seen by the public. What we are saying is it will now factor into somebody's wish list in terms of what and where they want to buy.

'I don’t think it will be long before it is compulsory to display pollution information on listings.'