One in 10 tall social housing buildings still have fire defects, says regulator

More than one in 10 social housing buildings taller than 11 metres have a life critical fire safety (LCFS) defect relating to their external wall system (EWS), according to the regulator.

The Regulator of Social Housing today published the findings from its latest quarterly survey of the fire safety of these buildings.

Of the 17,299 relevant buildings reported, 99.9% had fire risk assessments undertaken and 11.1% (1,920) were reported as currently having such defects.

Almost three quarters (73.6%) of buildings with a life-critical EWS defect are expected to be remediated within five years.

Landlords have reported that remediation timelines can slip due to factors including navigating complex legal arrangements, difficulties sourcing contractors and supply chain delays. 

While works are completed, landlords are responsible for ensuring mitigations are in place to protect residents.

Since 14 June 2017, a total of 2,545 have been identified as having EWS-related defects, with 625 (24.6%) of these having been remediated and a further 123 (4.8%) buildings having work completed and awaiting a new building works assessment.

More than a quarter (29%) of landlords reported being responsible for at least one relevant building in this quarter, the majority of which were large landlords.

Will Perry, director of strategy at RSH, said: “Tenants’ health and safety is non-negotiable and we have a number of tools at our disposal – including these surveys, as well as proactive inspections and responsive engagement – to make sure landlords are making the necessary progress on fire safety remediation.  

“Boards and councillors have a duty to seek assurance that landlords are meeting legal obligations for building safety, and that risks are being well managed and promptly remedied. 

“This includes any risks to tenants while work has not been completed.” 

The latest data comes from a survey which ran from 13 December 2024 to 22 January this year.