Leaseholder protections: buildings at least 11 metres or 5 storeys (England)
Contribution caps
If you’re a qualifying leaseholder, there is a limit on how much you can be charged in total and each year. This is your statutory cap. It applies to non-cladding defects and relevant safety measures (such as a waking watch).
Any payments made since 2017 count towards the cap, so it may already be partly or fully used.
How to work out your cap
Your cap depends on the value of the property on 14 February 2022.
| Property value on 14 February 2022 | Cap (Greater London) | Cap (rest of England) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than £175,000 | £0. You cannot be charged anything | £0. You cannot be charged anything |
| £175,000 to £324,999 | £0. You cannot be charged anything | £10,000 |
| £325,000 to £1 million | £15,000 | £10,000 |
| More than £1 million but less than £2 million | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| More than £2 million | £100,000 | £100,000 |
Caps for shared ownership leaseholders
If you have a shared ownership property, the value of the property is calculated as if you owned a 100% share on 14 February 2022.
However, your cap is set at the percentage of shares you owned on that date. Buying more shares (staircasing) after that date will not alter the cap.
Example
The standard cap for your property would be £10,000.
You owned a 25% share on 14 February 2022.
Your cap is £2,500 (25% of £10,000).
If you staircase to 70% ownership your cap remains at £2,500.
How much you pay each year (the 10-year rule)
Capped costs for qualifying leaseholders must be spread over a 10-year period and there is a limit on how much you can be charged each year.
This means you:
- cannot be asked to pay the whole cap upfront
- cannot be charged more than 10% of your total cap each year (your “annual limit”)
You do not need to agree any of this with your landlord. It is the law and it is their responsibility to ensure the rules are followed.
Payments made since 2017 count
Any money you have already paid towards historic safety defects and relevant safety measures since 28 June 2017 counts towards your cap. The total amount you’ve paid since 2017 must be shown on the landlord certificate.
Example
Your cap is £10,000.
You paid £2,000 a year towards a waking watch for 2021 and 2022.
There is £6,000 left of your cap.
Properties bought or sold after 14 February 2022
The cap is attached to the lease. This means, when you buy or sell a leasehold property with a qualifying lease, the cap and amount left of the cap automatically applies to the new owner.
Example
You buy a leasehold flat that has a qualifying lease and a total cap of £10,000.
Over the years, the previous leaseholder paid £8,500 in capped costs.
There is now £1,500 left of the cap.
If the previous leaseholder paid £10,000 in capped costs, the cap has been reached. You cannot be charged any more.
How to check your remaining cap
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a landlord’s certificate should include these details:
- your statutory cap
- the total amount paid towards it so far
- the costs and your share for any defects or relevant safety measures known to date
- work completed to date
However, certificates are not always up to date and it can get complicated working out how much of the cap “remains”. For example, figures may be estimates for work yet to be carried out rather than the actual final cost of the work.
Help understanding a landlord certificate and what to do if there isn’t one
Make sure your cap is being applied
- Last updated:
- 29 April 2026
- Next review:
- 29 April 2028
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