More people protected as government acts to make more homes safe
The UK government has announced new measures to protect more leaseholders from high costs of fixing building safety defects and to hold manufacturers accountable for unsafe products.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner unveiled proposals to expand protections for leaseholders facing significant bills to address serious building and fire safety defects. The new measures aim to close gaps in existing rules that leave some homeowners unprotected due to variations in ownership structures. The government will also require construction product manufacturers linked to unsafe cladding and insulation to contribute more to remediation efforts, with new powers to recover costs at scale.
The proposals were introduced during the second reading of the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill, which seeks to accelerate the fixing of unsafe buildings and impose stricter consequences for inaction. The Bill introduces a legal duty on responsible parties to rectify defects, with criminal penalties and fines of up to £500,000 for non-compliance. Authorities will also be empowered to intervene and complete remediation work if those responsible fail to act.
Existing leaseholder protections, introduced on 14 February 2022, are based on specific conditions such as the property being the owner’s only or main home or owning no more than three UK properties. These protections are transferred to future buyers, but some may still miss out if they do not meet the criteria, despite purchasing the property as their primary residence.
Further details on eligibility for the new protections and the operation of the manufacturer contribution scheme will be provided as the Bill progresses through Parliament or published alongside it. The government has stated these measures aim to ensure residents receive the safety and security they deserve while holding those responsible accountable.