Fire safety remediation in social housing - Survey on 11m+ buildings

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Ensuring that tenants live in good quality, safe homes is a fundamental responsibility of all social housing landlords (landlords). As part of meeting that responsibility, building safety remains a key priority, including ensuring that tenants living in multi-occupied, medium and high-rise buildings are safe from fire safety risks.

In August 2023, private registered providers (PRPs) and local authority registered providers (LARPs) were asked to submit data to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on the fire safety remediation of 11 metre plus buildings that they were responsible for.

On 16 November 2023, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning outlined in Parliament, in a Building Safety Update, that landlords will be expected to provide quarterly updates on progress on Fire Safety Remediation for all 11 metre plus buildings. A second survey of providers commenced in December 2023.

The survey is to help provide an overview of whether landlords:

  • are meeting their obligations under the Fire Safety (Regulatory) Order 2005 for assessing fire safety risks associated with the relevant parts of those buildings;
  • understand any risks they identify and how they should be addressed, particularly in relation to external wall systems (EWS) and;
  • have plans in place to remediate buildings they have identified as having life critical fire safety risks in a timely manner.

It is for boards and councillors to understand landlords’ legal obligations in relation to managing the safety of buildings and seek assurance that they are being met, and that any identified risks are being well managed and promptly remedied. Ensuring organisations have robust systems and processes, underpinned by accurate and up to date data on fire safety and its management, is a key aspect of ensuring that tenants are safe in their homes.

 

Access the survey findings here