Information for leaseholders: frequently asked questions

Since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, housing associations have been inspecting their buildings for safety concerns and remediating them as a priority. There is nothing more important to them than the safety of residents and they are committed to this above all else.

We know that the work to ensure homes are safe has caused distress and worry for all residents who have been affected. We have consistently said that leaseholders should not have to pay for works that have been caused by a systemic failure of building regulations. We therefore welcome the leaseholder protections set out in the Building Safety Act, which significantly limit the extent to which leaseholders can be charged for works to ensure their homes’ safety.

However, leaseholders of flats in affected buildings are still facing some particular issues, including:

• The uncertainty created from the potential for bills for remedial works, where the Building Safety Act still permits some costs to be passed on.
• The uncertainty of not knowing when remedial works will be completed.
• Potential difficulty remortgaging, moving, or buying additional shares in their home because of reduced lender appetite to provide mortgage finance against flats in affected buildings.

We created some FAQs to help leaseholders navigate the building safety crisis and we’ve updated this information to reflect the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act.

Leaseholders may also be interested to understand that the six big lenders have committed to providing mortgage finance on flats in affected buildings, even where remedial works have not yet taken place.