Frequently asked questions about building and fire safety

Your safety is our priority.

New government guidance means we must inspect all buildings with a communal entrance.

Not every building needs the same level of inspection — and some checks can be completed without disturbing residents.

If we do need to carry out work that might disturb you, we’ll write to you in advance.

Your building will also continue to receive regular Fire Risk Assessment inspections to ensure safety is maintained.

Because current building safety guidance is much stricter than when many blocks were originally built, most buildings are likely to need some level of remedial work.

We’ll let you know if your building requires any work once your Building Safety programme inspection is complete.

Under our current buyback policy, we’ll only consider purchasing your home if all of the following apply:

• Your home requires major remedial works that make it non-mortgageable to potential buyers
• These works will take more than 12 months to complete
• The works cannot be completed while you are living there

We will not consider a buyback if:

• you need to sell for financial reasons alone
• the remedial works are needed because of a service failure, a major incident, or an ‘Act of God’ (these are normally covered by insurance), or if the damage was caused by you
• your home is already subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order or Demolition Notice
• you have significant service charge or rent arrears and legal action has already started to recover the debt

If you believe you meet the criteria, please contact our Customer Service team online to discuss your situation.

Based on current government announcements about funding for cladding remediation, we do not expect to charge residents in buildings over 11 metres tall for cladding work needed to meet new building safety standards.

However, it is still unclear whether the funding will cover non-cladding issues such as balcony remediation. We will update residents once the government confirms the full details of the scheme.

Separately, some Section 20 Notices have been issued for buildings in our Major Works Investment programme (MWIP) – a £1.9bn programme to improve our homes.

These maintenance contracts can last up to 15 years.

During this time, some cladding may need maintenance or repairs.

This is why ‘cladding’ may be listed in your Section 20 Notice, even if no full replacement is planned.

Learn more about our MWIP.

Building Safety programme inspection

• Carried out by a fire engineer or Chartered Building Surveyor
• Produces a detailed report confirming whether your building meets the latest building safety guidelines
• Identifies any remedial work required
• Sometimes called a Consolidated Advice Note Inspection

EWS1 form

• Developed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Often requested by mortgage lenders as proof a building meets current safety standards
• Provides a rating of the building’s fire safety based on the likelihood of improvement works being needed
• Not a full safety guarantee – which is why a Building Safety Programme inspection may still be required

At present, most mortgage lenders ask for a completed EWS1 form before approving a mortgage. Some will accept a fire engineer’s or Chartered Building Surveyor’s report instead, but only if it confirms that no remedial work is needed.

Learn more about the EWS1 process from RICS.

If your mortgage lender is requesting an EWS1 form for a building under 18 metres tall, they must explain why and specify their concern, for example: “We think there may be combustible cladding on the balcony.”

If they provide this detail: Contact your Property Manager, who can advise you on the next steps.

If they do not explain: Ask them to clarify their reasons before taking further action. We suggest you send them the following detail in your response:

Based on the guidance provided by RICS on their website (https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/fire-safety/cladding-qa) not every building will require an EWS1 form – only those with some form of combustible material, making them unsafe, or, for example, combustible material on balconies. For buildings such as mine which are below the 18 metre threshold there must be a ‘specific concern’ for an EWS1 to be required.

This guidance also goes on to state that lenders should “should always have a rationale to justify the request for the EWS1”.

Your request does not include a clear rationale. Please can you provide this or confirm that you will not require this form to be provided.

If L&Q owns your building, we will not charge residents for additional fire safety measures such as:

• new detection and alarm systems
• Waking Watch services

If we need to install a new detection and alarm system, we’ll require access to your home. This is essential for the safety of the whole building.

As a last resort, if a resident refuses access, we may take legal action to ensure the work can be completed.

We haven’t been able to inspect all our tall buildings yet due to:

• the number of buildings we need to inspect
• ongoing changes to government building safety guidance, most recently updated in April 2020

Since the Grenfell tragedy, we have:

• completed fire safety works on 18 blocks with ACM cladding (the type used at Grenfell)
• carried out inspections and remedial works on several other buildings where safety issues have been identified under the updated guidance

A Waking Watch involves trained staff patrolling a building day and night to monitor for signs of fire and alert residents if evacuation is needed.

In future, instead of using Waking Watch, we'll install a communal fire detection and alarm system.

This system is:

• more effective – it can detect the early signs of fire anywhere in the building, much faster than manual patrols
• continuous – monitoring takes place without gaps between patrols

By replacing Waking Watch with alarm systems, we can respond to fire risks sooner and keep you safer.

Your safety is our top priority.

If an inspection shows your building needs remedial works that cannot be carried out immediately, we will put additional safety measures in place where needed. These may include:

• installing a new fire detection and alarm system
• introducing a Waking Watch (trained staff patrolling your building)
• changing the evacuation policy from ‘stay put’ to ‘evacuate’ if appropriate

In some cases, if we believe there’s a high chance your building will require works, we may install a new detection system before or during your inspection to ensure maximum safety.

We will always inform residents about:

• any changes to the evacuation policy
• any additional safety measures being introduced

You will not be charged for new fire detection systems or Waking Watch.

Since 2019, many mortgage lenders and valuers have required independent certification (usually an EWS1 form) to confirm that an apartment block meets the latest building safety guidelines before approving a mortgage.

This has become a national issue, with many residents unable to get a mortgage until safety checks and any necessary works are completed.

If you apply to buy your home through Right to Buy or Right to Acquire, it is very likely your lender will request this certification. This means it may not be possible to purchase your home right now.

If you are considering buying, speak to your chosen mortgage provider to understand their requirements.

We understand how disruptive and distressing this is for residents. We are:

• delivering our Building Safety Programme as quickly as possible
• working with partners to lobby government for solutions that help people move safely and with confidence

As part of our Building Safety Programme, we’ll carry out detailed checks on your building’s external wall system.

This includes:

• opening up parts of the building to inspect what’s behind the surface
• checking the materials used — such as cladding and insulation
• looking at how the walls are constructed
• inspecting balconies, where they are present

These inspections help us make sure your building meets current safety standards and identify any work that may be needed.

For residential buildings, height is measured from ground level on the lowest side of the building up to the upper floor surface of the top storey.

This means it’s not the roof height that matters, but the floor level of the highest storey where people live.

Example: If your building sits on a slope, the measurement is taken from the lowest ground level outside the building.

See the diagram below for how this is calculated:

We know how stressful it can be when building safety issues affect your ability to move home. That’s why we’re working hard to push for change.

Working with government – our technical team is in regular contact with government officials, providing insight and evidence to help shape their discussions with lenders.

Speaking up for residents – we’re joining with other housing sector partners to call on government to increase capacity for inspections and remedial works.

Lobbying for support – we continue to press government to take further steps so residents can move home safely and with confidence.

No – your fire protection charge is separate from remediation costs.

This charge only covers the regular servicing and maintenance of the existing fire safety equipment in your block, including:

• communal alarms and smoke detectors
• automatic vents
• dry risers
• fire blankets and extinguishers

It cannot be used to pay for any remedial works identified through inspections.

Your charge will also not increase if temporary fire safety measures – such as a Waking Watch or new detection and alarm system – are put in place at your building.

In most cases, sinking funds are set aside to cover major works.

The rules don’t usually specify cladding replacement, but because residents contribute to the fund, it may be considered in certain circumstances.

We would only look at using a sinking fund if all other funding options have been exhausted, and residents are fully consulted before any decision is made.

All L&Q buildings with shared or communal areas are inspected to make sure they meet the latest building safety guidelines.

Smaller buildings with just a few households are covered through our regular Fire Risk Assessments.

Larger apartment blocks may need more detailed Building Safety programme inspections. These involve opening up sections of the building to check the materials used, like cladding and insulation, and how they were installed.

This way, every home is assessed for safety – even if an EWS1 form isn’t required.

All affected buildings will be inspected by an independent, qualified fire engineer or a chartered building surveyor appointed by L&Q.

These specialists are fully accredited and experienced in building safety, so you can be confident the inspection is carried out to the highest professional standards.

No. The building owner (L&Q) is responsible for arranging all official inspections, including EWS1 reports and Building Safety programme inspections.

We are also responsible for carrying out any remedial works identified through these inspections.

We understand some residents may want to speed up the process. However, in the past, resident-commissioned reports have often been rejected as unsatisfactory, and there have also been national cases of fraudulent inspections being sold to residents.

For your safety and protection, we cannot permit residents to commission EWS1s or any other type of building inspection.

We also cannot accept liability for any costs or damage caused if residents choose to ignore this guidance.

By keeping all inspections managed by L&Q, we can ensure they are carried out by qualified, independent professionals and that all results are recognised by lenders, insurers and regulators.

Yes. You will not need to move out while inspections are carried out.

Most inspections focus on the outside of your building. In some cases, we may also need to check the communal areas inside, such as corridors or stairwells. If this applies to your building, we’ll let you know in advance.

Even then, there will be no need for you to leave your home during the inspection.

Yes. We have already started carrying out remedial works on some of our buildings.

The order in which works are scheduled depends on several factors, including:

• the level of risk to residents
• the availability of specialist contractors

We’ve committed to remediate all blocks built by L&Q.

Where possible, we are also pursuing the original developers so they take responsibility for putting right the issues in the buildings they constructed.

We can only plan remedial works once a building has been inspected.

Because we are inspecting hundreds of buildings in phases, any works identified must then be prioritised. This prioritisation is based on several factors, including the level of risk.

This means we may not always be able to carry out works immediately, even once issues are identified.

If this happens, and extra safety measures are needed, we will put them in place straight away.

We’re inspecting more than 1,500 blocks as part of our Building Safety programme.

To keep residents safe, we’re prioritising buildings based on risk.

When it’s time for your inspection, we’ll write to you in advance with a confirmed inspection window, so you’ll know when to expect us.

An EWS1 certificate is valid for five years. This allows for any changes that may take place to the building over time.

A new inspection is only required if substantial works are carried out on the building.

In addition, your building will continue to have regular Fire Risk Assessments, which may also include a review of the external wall system.

We schedule works based on the level of risk identified. This means high-risk buildings will be prioritised first.

As inspections progress, schedules may change if urgent issues are found that require faster action.

After we inspect your building, we’ll write to you with details of any remediation required and when we expect it to begin.

The Building Safety Fund was created to cover leaseholders’ share of remediation costs for buildings over 18 metres in height.

It could only be applied for if leaseholders were responsible for paying these costs.

Since the fund was launched, the government has introduced further measures to reduce the number of leaseholders who are liable for remediation costs.

If your building qualifies for the Building Safety Fund, we’ll contact you directly with more information.

Whether you’ll need to contribute depends on the circumstances and the rules that apply to your building.

Learn more about our charging for remediation work policy.

Yes, but your lender (or your buyer’s lender) may need extra information before they can proceed.

Most lenders will ask for:

• a summary of any building safety remediation that’s required
• confirmation of who is responsible for paying the costs

If you’re selling your home or increasing your share in a shared ownership property, and your lender requests this information, please email our Fire Safety Engagement team so we can provide the details they need.

Get in touch

We take mental wellbeing seriously.

All managers complete compulsory mental health awareness training.

Our Customer Service teams and Property Managers are also trained to support you if you’re feeling stressed, including signposting you to services that can help.

If you’re struggling, please talk to us – we’re here to help.

You can also find useful advice and support from the NHS, Mind and Samaritans.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, we acted quickly to inspect the cladding on all our tower blocks.

We identified and replaced ACM cladding – the same type used at Grenfell – on 27 high-rise buildings.

Our Building Safety programme goes beyond cladding, checking a range of building safety features to keep residents safe.

Learn more about our building safety inspections.