In a new statement from the government, Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke has set out his commitment to building safety and protecting leaseholders
New levelling up secretary Simon Clarke has set out his commitments to taking action on building safety and protecting leaseholders via the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
In the statement, Clarke reflects on recent achievements such as leaseholder protections guaranteed in the Building Safety Act and references the latest legislation installing a price cap on energy bills for households and some businesses.
Unfinished remediation works are a priority of the new government
The recent Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release from the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities has shown that there are still over 300 high-rise buildings with incomplete unsafe cladding removal works, five years after the Grenfell Tower fire.
Reforms introduced by the Building Safety Act this summer now protect qualifying leaseholders from being charged for removing dangerous cladding.
From 28 June 2022, leaseholder protections ensure that qualifying residents in England will pay nothing to remove dangerous cladding, and the amount they can be asked to contribute to fixing other historical building safety defects is firmly capped.
Over forty of the largest housebuilders have signed a pledge to fix unsafe buildings that they originally constructed or have redeveloped. The Government intends to make these pledges legally binding and will block future projects or sign-off of housebuilders that do not cooperate.
Landlords will be held to account via social media and legal challenges
The Government will also hold landlords to account by naming and shaming those guilty of poor practice, using published findings from the Housing Ombudsman and judgements from the Regulator of Social Housing to identify severe maladministration and breach of consumer standards.
These findings will be included in social media posts highlighting poor practice by landlords.
A Recovery Strategy Unit will also pursue individuals and firms responsible for extremely severe cases of building neglect, bringing legal action where necessary to facilitate change.
Clarke also intends to end ‘unnecessary paperwork’ and the work of unscrupulous insurance agents
The government will work closely with the Financial Conduct Authority to prevent dishonest activities such as sharing of commissions between brokers and managing agents, which can drive up prices for consumers.
Equally, Clarke states the government’s intent to work with the lending industry to reduce averse and extraneous paperwork in the housing process, to get more people on the property ladder.
The statement ends with:
“We will make homes safer. We will protect leaseholders from crippling costs. And we will work to restore the right of everyone in this country to feel safe in the place where they and their loved ones sleep at night.”
