The UK’s Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) body has released the findings from its latest survey on fire safety in buildings over 11m tall within the social housing sector.
As of 30 September 2024, an overwhelming majority of the buildings have undergone fire risk assessments, but a significant number still present life-critical fire safety defects.
Out of the 17,516 buildings reported in the survey, which ran from 20 September to 21 October 2024, 99.2% have been assessed for fire risk.
However, 11.5% (2,009 buildings) were identified as having critical fire safety defects related to their external wall systems. This is a pressing concern for the sector, as these defects can pose serious risks to residents.
Landlords have made progress on remediating these defects, with work completed on 7.2% (144 buildings) of the affected properties, including those awaiting building control sign-off.
This marks an increase from the 5.6% (108 buildings) reported in the previous quarter.
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By GlobalDataLandlords with multiple affected buildings are reportedly prioritising higher-risk properties, which often require more complex solutions and extended timelines for remediation.
The survey indicates that 69% of the buildings with life-critical fire safety external wall system defects are expected to be remediated within the next five years.
Notably, 10.4% of these remediations are scheduled for completion in the upcoming six months.
The UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has required landlords to provide more specific dates for the status of remediation works, including start and completion times.
Despite the detailed reporting, some registered providers have faced challenges in determining precise dates, leading to ‘unknown’ timeframes being reported for this quarter.
RSH has committed to ongoing monitoring of landlords’ performance in remediating buildings taller than 11m and the progress against their remediation plans.
It is crucial for boards and councillors to be fully aware of the legal obligations regarding the safety of buildings, according to the body. They must ensure that risks are managed effectively and that remediation plans are executed promptly.
The government’s recent publication of the Remediation Acceleration Plan sets new expectations for landlords, particularly concerning the completion timelines for remediation based on building height.
RSH strategy director Will Perry said: “Fire safety continues to be a hugely important priority for the social housing sector. While the vast majority of buildings have no life-critical fire safety defects, we are continuing to scrutinise progress closely for the minority that do.
“We expect landlords to keep accurate data and rigorous systems in place to make sure tenants are safe – this includes any necessary mitigating measures to protect residents while works are completed.”
“The collection and publication of this data is just one of a number of tools we use, alongside our programme of inspections and responsive engagement, to make sure landlords are meeting fire safety requirements.”
