News ·
Government plans wider protection for London leaseholders facing building safety bills
New proposals would extend building safety cost protections to more flat owners, including those in collectively owned buildings, and make product manufacturers pay towards repairs.
The government announced on 27 October 2026 that it plans to give more leaseholders protection from the cost of fixing serious building and fire safety defects. The proposals were set out in Parliament during the second reading of the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill.
Who could be helped
The government says some people still fall through gaps in the rules. The first group is people who bought a flat as their only or main home but lost protection because of the circumstances of a previous owner.
The second is leaseholders in collectively owned or enfranchised buildings, where there is no separate freeholder. They would get new funding towards serious internal fire safety defects.
The third is people who owned between four and six properties, with the protection limit planned to rise from three properties to six.
Manufacturers to pay
Construction product manufacturers linked to unsafe cladding and insulation will be made to contribute more towards repairs, and the government will take new powers to recover that money.
The Bill would also put a legal duty on those responsible to fix unsafe buildings, with criminal penalties for failing to act, and let authorities step in where work is refused.
Photo: Leticia Golubov on Pexels.
Source: GOV.UK (2026-10-27). Checked 2026-10-28.
London Builders introduces homeowners to independent builders and does not carry out building work. This article is general information, not advice.