We are doing master bath remodel and previous owners had vinyl plank flooring laid over the concrete foundation-- the people who did the work said that if the baseboard is high enough (ours is about 3" of wood--not tile.. they said the vinyl plank was run to the baseboards and cut to fit then silicone caulk was used along that joint... So far have noticed no issues anyplace in house this was done--not just in bathroom... we are taking out all LVT in master suite and replacing it with 1 type of flooring for unified look after master bath is redone--since we can't get the type of flooring in there now--not made anymore-- they won't need to add a quarter round on top of the LVT... so as long as you are happy with how the LVT would look butting up to the ceramic tile baseboard--maybe you can do the same... IS the ceramic baseboard in good shape? Still tight?

they need to come up before laying tile directly over them. if you think they may have asbestos, then send a small sample for testing. what i would do though is to open as many windows as you can, stick some fans inthe windows blowing out, and seal off the doors and vents with palstic. then using a wide scraper( i prefer the 12" with a long handle) scrape them up. i doubt very seriously tha tthey will flake much. if the tiles come up whole there is almost zero chance of stirring up asbestos. you could get a disposable suit and mask(not the paper ones get a decent mask) at any home improvement store in the paint area. if it makes you more comfortable, wet the area as you scrape to eliminate dust.

It will NOT look stupid. There are vinyl plank floors that imitate the real thing so well, that you have to get down on your hands and knees to discover it's not the real thing. You want to use a cementious skim coat floor filler to make for a smooth and flush substrate. Most of these have the binder incorporated in the powdered formulation, so there is no need to add a binder or a primer with any of those. But...read the product labels to know what you're buying and what performance you can expect. Of course, if the fillers available to you suggest adding a liquid binder or using a primer, then do that. A trowellable skim coat floor filler is done with a smooth edge trowel in several passes. After the first coat is set enough to walk on, it should be ready for another coat. Remember, a smooth and flush result is what you want to achieve. After the floor is absolutely smooth, then install your vinyl plank using the recommended adhesive.

I'm very sorry for the OP. This is the FIRST TIME, that I've seen, the manufacture's 'allowed' installation has been directly contradicted by a situational install over tile. That is to say, this is the first time I've seen/heard this happen. This is a MIGHTY day in the flooring world (sorry OP....I really wish this had not happened to you...I really do)! This is the day we, as upstanding floor pros can POINT TO and say, "See here! This is what CAN HAPPEN if you go DIRECTLY OVER TILE with vinyl! Do the right thing and remove the tile!" OP...again I'm so sorry this has happened. I can't tell you how much my heart breaks for you. Your installer did everything properly (assuming this is the only issue). Vinyl products state these floors can go directly over tiles so long as the tiles are well bonded to the substrate (yours were...so all good there). Sadly, the only option now = Remove the vinyl (be prepared to lose 25% of the planks due to edge breakage), remove the tile, lay $0.13/sf vapour barrier and install vinyl once more. I'm so sorry....but this is the only thing you have left. Sadly, you will have to pay for the vinyl removal, the tile removal, the vinyl installation and pay for more product because of loss to breakage.