Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help support leaseholders in low-rise blocks facing uncapped costs to fix cladding and other building safety defects.

The Government has implemented a risk-based and proportionate approach to regulating safety in residential buildings and in remediating cladding and other building safety defects. We have introduced a new regulatory regime for residential buildings over 18 metres tall and extensive protections for leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys, ensuring that those who built defective buildings take responsibility for remedying them and leaseholders are protected from the unfair burden of remediation costs to make their home safe.

The Government has retrospectively extended the limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 enabling legal action against developers and contractors where works completed in the last 30 years made a dwelling not 'fit for habitation'.

In general, the risk in lower-rise buildings is low and can be mitigated, for example, by installing fire alarms. We are aware of a very small number of buildings below 11 metres in height where remediation of unsafe cladding and other building safety defects is being proposed.

On 20 April 2022, the Department for Levelling up Housing and Communities committed to examine cases where costly fire safety remediation works have been proposed in buildings below 11 metres, asking leaseholders and Members of Parliament to write to the department.

We have written to freeholders and managing agents in affected buildings to make sure that any proposed works are necessary and proportionate and the rights to redress are being fully utilised.

Leaseholders can also seek free information and advice from The Leasehold Advisory Service, funded by the Department.