Government proposes wider protection for leaseholders facing building fire safety defects

The Government has announced proposals to extend financial protection to more leaseholders affected by historic building and fire safety defects. The changes would help some residents who currently face substantial bills for making unsafe buildings safe.

What has the Government announced?

On 27 October 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced further measures intended to address gaps in existing building safety protections.

The proposals were presented during the parliamentary consideration of the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill.

Existing legislation already protects many leaseholders from certain costs associated with historic building safety defects.

However, the Government acknowledges that some residents remain outside those protections because of the way their properties are owned or because of previous ownership arrangements.

The latest proposals aim to reduce those gaps.

Which leaseholders could benefit?

The proposed changes include additional protection for some people who purchased a flat as their main home but remain ineligible because of the circumstances of a previous owner.

The Government also intends to provide further assistance to residents in collectively owned and enfranchised buildings.

These properties can present particular difficulties because there may be no separate freeholder responsible for remediation costs.

Additional financial support is proposed for certain high-risk and high-cost internal fire safety defects.

The Government is also considering extending protections to some leaseholders who owned between four and six properties at the relevant qualifying date.

Will manufacturers contribute to remediation costs?

The proposals include measures intended to make manufacturers associated with historic unsafe construction products contribute towards remediation.

The Government also wants stronger powers to require those responsible for unsafe buildings to carry out necessary work.

Under the proposed legislation, organisations failing to meet their responsibilities could face substantial financial penalties and criminal sanctions.

However, these measures remain proposals within the legislative process.

They should not be treated as protections that are already fully in force.

What should residents do about fire safety now?

Residents concerned about their building should contact the landlord, freeholder or managing agent to establish what fire safety assessments have been completed.

They should also understand the building’s current emergency procedures.

In some residential buildings, the fire strategy may require residents to remain inside their flats unless directly affected by a fire.

Other buildings may operate different evacuation arrangements.

Residents should follow the procedures established for their particular building rather than assuming the same advice applies everywhere.

Anyone with mobility difficulties or additional support needs should ask the building manager about appropriate evacuation planning.

Prepper Weekly’s emergency preparedness guide for people living in flats covers fire safety, evacuation arrangements and other practical considerations.

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: More people protected as government acts to make more homes safe. Published 27 October 2026.