Survey finding
Airey house: survey, mortgage problems, and how to check the repair
Airey house mortgage problems are one of the most-searched queries on PRC properties. This page covers what an Airey is, why it was designated defective in 1984, how the PRC Homes Ltd repair scheme works, and the document trail that changes lender appetite.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Airey house
What this usually means
Airey houses are a precast reinforced concrete (PRC) system built between 1945 and 1955, predominantly by local authorities to address the post-war housing shortage. The original construction uses concrete columns with thin concrete cladding panels, and the embedded steel reinforcement was found to corrode prematurely. Designated 'defective' under the Housing Defects Act 1984. Many Aireys were repaired under licensed schemes from the 1980s onward.
Why it matters
Aireys without a licensed repair are not generally mortgageable on the high street. Once repaired under a licensed scheme (PRC Homes Ltd certificate is the standard). The property returns to mainstream lender appetite. The certificate is the binary marker, confirm its existence before paying for further surveys.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:Can you confirm this is an Airey rather than a different PRC system (look for the characteristic concrete columns and storey-height panels)?
- Check:Has it been repaired under a licensed scheme, and is the certificate available?
Ask the seller
- Check:Do you have the PRC repair certificate and structural warranty paperwork?
- Check:When was the repair carried out and which contractor delivered it?
Next steps
- •Confirm with your broker which lender will accept this construction type before paying for any further surveys.
- •Order a structural engineer's report if no recent one exists in the property's records.
Tool shortcut
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewCross-check this finding with EPC, building age, and address-specific risk data.
What you need to know
Severity
Serious. Lender and insurer involvement likely; structural or specialist remediation.
Typical cost to fix
Airey repair under the standard licensed scheme typically £35,000–£75,000 per house depending on regional contractor pricing. Many were repaired by local authorities under grant schemes; private buyers without a certified repair face the full cost.
Mortgage impact
High-street lenders generally decline unrepaired Aireys outright. With a valid PRC Homes Ltd certificate (or equivalent licensed scheme certificate) and a 60-year structural warranty, most mainstream lenders treat Airey as standard. Specialist lenders do consider unrepaired Aireys at higher rates and lower LTV (often 60–75%).
Insurance impact
Standard insurance is available on certified-repaired Aireys. Unrepaired Aireys require specialist placement; quotes vary widely and the structural element of cover is the binding constraint.
When to pull out
Pull out if unrepaired, no certificate exists. The seller is unwilling to fund repair, and your lender refuses. The certificate is binary; without it. The property is in a different lender market entirely.
When to renegotiate, and by how much
If certificated, treat as standard. If unrepaired, negotiate by the full repair cost plus 15% buffer. Get a specialist Airey-experienced engineer's quote before exchange.
Thinking of pulling out or renegotiating? What to do after a bad survey
Run the check on this address
The Survey Decoder explains the wording. The full report adds address-specific flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, listed status, building age and price comparison data, so a single finding isn't judged in isolation.
Run the check
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewRead next
PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house , often sits near airey house on a survey and is the next thing to check.
How MyPropertyScan produces this guide, and what it is not
Published by MyPropertyScan and written by Ziad Nasr, who is accountable for its accuracy. No page here is written or reviewed by a chartered surveyor, conveyancer or regulated adviser, and we do not claim otherwise.
This page is not:
- Chartered surveying — we do not inspect properties or produce RICS Home Survey reports
- Legal advice — we do not act as conveyancers or advise on title, tenure or contracts
- Mortgage or insurance advice — we are not regulated by the FCA and give no recommendations
Figures and process steps come from the published UK datasets and standards listed on this page, not from professional practice. Pages are updated when source coverage, survey cost assumptions, or lender and legal requirements materially change. Dataset limitations are set out on the methodology page.
Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email hello@mypropertyscan.com and we will correct it and change the update date.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.
- Professional standard: RICS Home Survey StandardRICS standard for condition-based residential surveys in the UK.
- Learn more from: RICS consumer guide to surveysConsumer-facing guide to survey types and when each level is appropriate.
- Official guidance: GOV.UK buying or selling your homeGovernment overview of the home buying and selling process.