RICS consultation on EWS1 forms

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is consulting on proposed guidance on valuations, which will affect the future application of the External Wall System (EWS1) form.

The guidance aims to provide consistency on the criteria for requesting an EWS1 form. It aims to help homebuyers and leaseholders who are impacted by delays in the homebuying market, caused by safety concerns over cladding and the cost of remediation.

We will be submitting a sector response to the consultation. We have summarised the proposals and listed questions in our briefing, which we encourage members to answer. You can read the consultation documents in fullon the RICS website.

We know that housing associations are experiencing challenges in fulfilling EWS1 requests, so we welcome this consultation as a step towards overcoming those challenges. However, we believe the ultimate solution is for government to guarantee and provide upfront funding for all remedial works. This will satisfy lenders’ concerns that borrowers may face large remediation bills and, importantly, remove any financial barriers to conducting urgent safety works.

Download the briefing