Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act 2022 gained Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. It brought forward a significant overhaul to the regulatory system for building safety as recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt in her Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. It introduced a more rigorous regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings, and it contains duties for those responsible for building and managing all types of property. 

Building Safety Act timeline

• 14 June 2017: the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, where 72 people died.
• May 2018: Dame Judith Hackitt publishes the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety
• July 2020: draft Building Safety Bill published
• April 2022: Building Safety Act gains royal assent
• October 2023: most regulations in the Act came into effect.

Key measures in the Act

• Leaseholder protections: Building owners will not legally be able to charge qualifying leaseholders for any costs in circumstances where a building over 11 metres requires cladding to be removed or remediated. 
• Building Safety Regulator (BSR): Initially created within the Health and Safety Executive, and now an independent body under MHCLG, the BSR oversees safety standards and act as the building control body for higher-risk buildings. 
• Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs): Applies enhanced rules—such as mandatory registration, safety case reports, and resident engagement strategies—to residential buildings that are at least 18 metres tall or have seven or more storeys. 
• The ‘Golden Thread’: Mandates a digital, secure, and accessible record of safety-critical building information throughout a building’s lifecycle.  

The government continues to consult on aspects of the regime. 

2026 consultations include:

• Single Construction Regulator consultation
• Improving proportionality and building safety outcomes in building control: emergency repairs under the higher-risk building regime
• Improving proportionality and building safety outcomes in building control: categorisation of higher-risk building work
• Review of Approved Document B: Fire safety guidance