New regulation, following the Grenfell catastrophe, extends fire safety obligations but leaves unclear who will pay the costs. Fire Safety Orders for buildings with two or more dwellings will now extend to the structure, walls, doors, windows. The Act also introduces the concept of “risk-based guidance”. However, the Act does not specify who must pay for work necessary for fire safety compliance, in particular replacement of unsafe cladding materials. A subsequent Bill is still under discussion whereby leaseholders / tenants in buildings over 18m high (4 – 6 stories) would not face costs, but tenants in lower buildings would have to pay UK£50 per month. The UK has also opened a public consultation on a proposed new residential property developer tax intended to help fund cladding remediation works.
UK Residential Property Developer Tax: consultation, open to 22 July 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/residential-property-developer-tax-consultation
UK Fire Safety Act 2021 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/24/contents/enacted