Buying a house in a city? You can ask for a 20 per cent discount on the price for THIS reason

If you are thinking of buying a new house, before you put in an offer you why not look into the pollution levels in the area. You could be able to ask for a pollution discount on the house price.

Related: IKEA launches pollution reducing curtains – and you won't believe how they work! 

A new website, addresspollution.org is encouraging potential buyers to seek a discount of up to 20 per cent off a house price if it's located in a pollution hotspot.

The website was set up by the Central Office of Public Interest, a not-for-profit community interest group. The website has compiled data from King's College London to produce an air quality report for every postcode in London.

Pollution discount

It includes details on whether the pollution in the area exceeds the safety limits set by the World Health Organization. It sets out the negative health impact the pollution levels could have if you lived in that area, so you can make an informed choice before putting in an offer.

And if you do decide to put in an offer on the property, the website also includes the asking price discount buyers should try to negotiate.

For example, those looking to buy a home in Westminister are advised to ask for a 20 per cent discount. This means £214,000 could be knocked off the average property price.

An unofficial pollution discount isn't something entirely new, research carried out by the Daily Telegraph suggested homes in heavily polluted areas could sell for 15 per cent less than a similar house somewhere with cleaner air. There have even been calls for air quality to be included in property listings.

'Air pollution is killing people across the country, and London is worst hit but people don't believe it will affect them personally,' Humphrey Milles, founder of the Central Office for Public Interest told Zoopla.

'The Air Quality Rating is a tool to change these perceptions and show just how real, and dangerous, air pollution is across the capital, including in some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods,' he adds.

Currently, the website only offers reports for postcodes in London. However, there are plans to expand the project to include other cities and towns across the UK.

Still, that doesn't stop you doing a little research into a potential houses air quality yourself.

Related: 10 pollution-tolerant plants and how to care for them

If you find your new home lies in an area that  exceeds the World Health Organization safety limits for air quality, you might be able to claim a pollution discount.