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leaseholders

Problem guide

Fire safety and remediation

If your building has unsafe cladding or other fire safety problems, you may be worried about your safety, your bills and whether you can sell. In England, the law now protects many leaseholders from the cost of fixing these problems. Wales has its own, different rules. This page explains the basics and what you can do now.

The key facts

  • In England, the Building Safety Act 2022 gives many leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres (or at least five storeys) legal protection from the cost of fixing unsafe cladding. It also limits what they can be charged for other historic safety defects.
  • Whether you are protected depends on whether your lease "qualifies".
  • Wales has its own, different rules.
  • An EWS1 form is a document lenders may ask for to confirm the external wall of a building has been assessed for fire risk.

Common questions

What you can do now

  1. 1Collect every letter, notice and bill about fire safety or cladding in one place.
  2. 2Check whether your building is in England or Wales, as the rules are different.
  3. 3Ask your freeholder or managing agent in writing whether they treat your lease as qualifying for protection.
  4. 4Ask whether an EWS1 form exists for your building, and ask for a copy.
  5. 5Talk to your neighbours. Writing together often gets clearer answers.
  6. 6If you get a letter you do not understand, use Explain my document.

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