The Building Safety Act 2022: What You Need to Know On the 28th of April 2022, the Building Safety
Bill received Royal Assent. It has been designed to create a lasting change in
the way which high-risk and high-rise residential buildings are constructed and
maintained.
This month’s blog at Denfords Property Management looks
at what you need to know about the Building Safety Act. Call us in Southampton
on 023 8038 6970 for further information.
What is the Building Safety Act? The Building Safety Act 2022 is a key step in overhauling
building safety legislation in England. It will strengthen the obligations
under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In the wake of the
Grenfell disaster, the Bill has introduced clear accountabilities for all
involved in the construction, upkeep, and repairs of high-risk buildings.
In addition to this, an appointed Building Safety Regulator
will ensure that residents in high-rise buildings are kept safe.
The Building Safety Regulator The Building Safety Regulator will oversee the new
requirements of a new three-stage gateway. This has specific points at the
design, construction and completion phases and will ensure requirements are
checked in detail.
Evidence that the relevant standards have been met will be
required from the Building Safety Regulator. This will be required to pass
through each gateway. Furthermore, parties will need to show that safety risks
have been considered at the earliest stage of planning.
A Building Assurance Certificate will also need to be
obtained by the Regulator, whether the building is existing or new.
Additionally, it will need to be registered.
Accountable Person The Bill states that an 'Accountable Person' will be legally
responsible for building safety. An Accountable Person can be an individual,
partnership or corporate body. They will need to assess the building safety
risks and prepare a report to submit to the Building Safety Regulator. To add
to this, they will need to appoint a Building Safety Director and apply to
register the building as high-risk.
What This Means for Residents & Homeowners Residents living in high-rise buildings will have more say
in the management of their building. They will also be able to raise safety
concerns directly to owners/managers of the buildings. If they feel their
concerns are being ignored, they can raise them with the Building Safety
Regulator.
They will also have over double the amount of time (6-15
years) to claim compensation for poor quality construction work.
What this Means for Building Owners Building owners will need to manage safety risks. They will
also be responsible for safety during design, construction, completion and
occupation of the buildings.
Those who do not meet obligations may face criminal charges.
Find Out More For more information about the Building Safety Act, please
contact Denfords Property Management. Call us on 023
8038 6970 . Alternatively, make an enquiry via our contact form .
Find us here .
