The government has announced proposed changes intended to widen protection for some leaseholders facing the cost of repairing serious building-safety defects. The announcement, issued by the Ministry of Housing on 27 October 2026, came as the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill received its second reading in Parliament. The measures are proposals, not a new set of protections already in force.
One issue concerns the way existing protections can follow a flat’s history. Current rules can depend on who owned the property on 14 February 2022. The government says a later buyer may be left outside some protections even if the flat is now their only or main home, because an earlier owner did not qualify. Ministers say they are exploring ways to narrow that gap; the press release does not yet set out final eligibility rules.
A second group identified by the announcement is residents in collectively owned or enfranchised buildings. Where residents collectively own the freehold, there may be no separate freeholder, and the government says those buildings are not covered by the same leaseholder protections under the Building Safety Act. It proposes using new funding to help with remediation of high-risk, high-cost internal fire-safety defects. The release says further details about eligibility and funding will follow as the Bill progresses or alongside later publications.
The government also plans to raise the property-ownership limit for some protections from three to six UK properties. The announcement describes this change for people with non-cladding building-safety problems they did not cause. It is a proposal; individual eligibility will depend on the final legislation and guidance.
The Bill is also intended to create a scheme for construction-product manufacturers connected to historic unsafe cladding or insulation. Ministers say the legislation would provide powers to recover contributions from manufacturers towards remediation costs. The government’s announcement also describes stronger duties on those responsible for fixing unsafe buildings and penalties for failures, but the final legal effect will depend on Parliament’s decisions and the enacted text.
For leaseholders, the practical point is to distinguish existing rights from changes still being considered. The press release does not provide the full eligibility tests, application process, funding amounts or timetable for each proposed measure. Residents should check the current Building Safety Act guidance, keep records of building-safety communications and seek independent legal or housing advice about their own building.
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, “More people protected as government acts to make more homes safe”, 27 October 2026.