We have developed a programme of building surveys and prioritised these on a risk based approach. We’re not able to carry out the detailed intrusive investigations to all of our buildings and complete any remedial works identified all at once, due to the scale and cost of the works involved.
In the meantime, we would like to apologise to those residents who will need to wait for their building to be inspected – we know how difficult this situation is for you.
We are working with other housing associations and building owners through the National Housing Federation to encourage further action from the government in this area. We hope to be able to provide you with more information and reassurance in the coming months, as more guidance and support is announced by the government
The Building Safety Act introduces new clauses that will set out in law the principle that building owners should not pass on costs to leaseholders for remediation works wherever possible.
The government has made it clear that it expects the industry responsible to pay to fix the problems it created. It has secured commitment from a number of developers to remediate life critical fire safety works in buildings 11m and over that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing over the last 30 years in England. In addition, the government is establishing a cladding remediation fund, sourced from developers and industry, to cover the costs of remediating unsafe external wall systems on buildings between 11m and 18m, where there is no original developer to carry out the work.
Building owners are now legally prevented from charging leaseholders for any costs relating to the removal or remediation of external cladding. The government’s Building Safety Fund is available to fund cladding remediation on buildings 18m and over – subject to a technical assessment – while developers are expected to remediate any 11-18m buildings they themselves are responsible for.
Where building owners do not have the means and wealth to pay for non-cladding defects, they will be able to legally recoup some costs from leaseholders to pay for works required. The Building Safety Act sets out that housing association and local authority landlords are exempt from requirements to demonstrate whether they have the means and wealth to pay for non-cladding costs. However, these costs will now be fixed at a cap of no more than £10,000 for leaseholders outside London, and £15,000 within London (referred to in this document as ‘the cap’). In addition, leaseholders with properties valued at less than £175,000 outside London and £325,000 inside London will be exempt from any costs.