Fire risk assessments completed on 98% of blocks, second RSH survey says

Social landlords have undertaken fire risk assessments on 98% of all reported buildings over 11 metres, the Regulator of Social Housing has reported.

For the remaining structures, assessments are scheduled to be conducted within the next 9 months.

Landlords have identified 1,952 buildings as having a life-critical fire safety (LCFS) defect relating to the external wall system, this represents 11.5% of all 11-metre-plus buildings landlords are responsible for.

Of these buildings, work is complete on 10% of them and an additional 27% are currently undergoing remediation. Work on 24% of the identified buildings is due to commence by September 2024. 

The RSH has said that the November survey data submissions reveal an overall improvement in providers’ remediation efforts compared to the initial survey.

Furthermore, registered providers anticipate that 78% of buildings with EWS-related LCFS defects will be fully remediated within the next 5 years, including 18% by September 2024.

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In total, landlords reported owning 17,320 buildings over 11 metres in height. The majority of these, 12,467 (72%), are 11-18 metre buildings, with 4,853 buildings (28%) measuring 18 metres or more in height.

In August 2023, private registered providers (PRPs) and local authority registered providers (LARPs) were asked to submit data to the RSH and DLUHC, regarding the fire safety remediation of buildings exceeding 11 metres for which they were responsible.

The findings of the first survey were published in November last year.

On 16 November 2023, Lee Rowley, the minister of state for housing and planning outlined in a building safety update in parliament, that landlords will be expected to provide quarterly updates on progress on Fire Safety Remediation for all 11-metre-plus buildings.

The second survey of providers opened in December 2023.

The second survey was extended to all large landlords, who manage 1,000 or more units, as well as small landlords, who own fewer than 1,000 units. Additionally, it included any landlord who did not participate in the initial survey (in total, 695 providers).

Will Perry, director of strategy at RSH, said: “Landlords must take timely action to remediate fire defects in the buildings they are responsible for, so that tenants are safe and can feel safe in their homes.

“It is for boards and councillors to ensure these plans are delivered, and they must take action to mitigate risks to tenants. We will continue to engage with landlords through our ongoing regulation, including the new programme of inspections from April 2024.”