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Fire safety for resident directors

Fire safety remediation work

In this guide

The government has put rules in place so that the costs of fixing certain historical fire safety problems (such as unsafe cladding in buildings that are at least 11 metres or 5 storeys) cannot be charged to leaseholders, if they qualify for protection.

If work is needed to fix these problems (remediation), the right to manage company or residents’ management company will be responsible for arranging funding and making sure the work is done.

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Fire safety remediation projects are long and complex. If your building is affected, you’ll need to employ specialists to advise you and manage the work.

The remediation process in England

For buildings in England at least 11 metres high (or at least 5 storeys)

If there’s a possibility that your building has historical defects such as unsafe cladding, you’ll need to follow these steps.

  1. Commission a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) – an assessment by a professional that identifies what cladding is used, any fire risks, and what work needs to be done.
  2. If work is needed, check if the government’s protections apply – does the work relate to unsafe cladding or is the work covered by the government’s definition of a “relevant defect”.
  3. If the work is covered by the protections, check who is responsible for paying – this will usually be:
    1. the original developer, or a related company – even if they no longer own the building
    2. the building owner, if they have high enough net worth
  4. If you cannot identify someone who is responsible for paying for work on unsafe cladding, apply for government funding through the Cladding Safety Scheme.
  5. Once funding has been found, plan the work and appoint a contractor.

Your building may also be eligible for funding to install a fire alarm system, if this is needed as a temporary safety measure while the work is done. You can apply through the government’s Interim Measures Alarm Fund.

If work is needed but has not been done, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a remediation order, which requires the landlord to fix the defects by a specified date.

If work has already been done and was paid for by leaseholders before the government’s protections were introduced, you can apply for a remediation contribution order to recover the costs.

The cost of applying for a remediation contribution order can be charged to leaseholders through the service charge, if the leases allow.

For more information see the government’s guidance on making sure remediation work is done.

For buildings in England under 11 metres (or under 5 storeys)

You may have other ways to help pay for historic safety defects, including building warranties, building liability orders or Defective Premises Act claims.

Find out more: paying historic fire safety costs: buildings under 11 metres or 5 storeys

The remediation process in Wales

In Wales, all leaseholders in buildings at least 11 metres high are protected from having to pay most of the costs to remediate (fix) historic safety defects. There are also plans to further support leaseholders in Wales through the Building Safety (Wales) Bill.

Find out more: the remediation process in Wales

Last updated:
2 April 2026
Next review:
2 April 2028

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