Fire safety remediation in social housing in England 2024-25: Quarter 2
Findings from the 2024-25 Quarter 2 survey on 11 metre plus buildings, published December 2024.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Contents
Introduction
Ensuring that tenants live in good quality, safe homes is a fundamental responsibility of all social housing landlords (landlords). As part of meeting that responsibility, building safety remains a key priority, including ensuring that tenants living in multi-occupied, medium and high-rise buildings are safe from fire safety risks.
This publication provides an overview of the status of fire safety remediation for buildings owned by registered social landlords at an aggregate level.
The analysis presented in this publication uses data collected through the Fire Safety Remediation Survey (FRS), a self-reported census of stock for which landlords are responsible which measure more than 11 metres in height or that have 5 storeys or more, referred to in this publication as ‘relevant buildings’.
The data from the survey relate to:
-
landlords’ obligations under the Fire Safety (Regulatory) Order 2005 for assessing fire safety risks associated with the relevant parts of those buildings;
-
risks landlords have identified, particularly in relation to external wall systems (EWS) and;
-
landlords’ plans for remediating buildings they have identified as having life critical fire safety risks .
Building safety
It is for boards and councillors to understand landlords’ legal obligations in relation to managing the safety of buildings and seek assurance that they are being met, and that any identified risks are being well managed and promptly remedied. Ensuring organisations have robust systems and processes, underpinned by accurate and up to date data on fire safety and their management, is a key aspect of ensuring that tenants are safe in their homes.
We recognise the seriousness with which landlords take these obligations and it is important that the work landlords are doing to address fire safety risks in buildings continues at pace including the remediation of dangerous cladding. Where necessary landlords are expected to provide measures to mitigate and manage the risks to the safety of tenants until remediation works can commence and/or complete. Landlords should be aware of the Remediation Acceleration Plan published by the government in December 2024 which proposes new expectations of landlords as to when they will be expected to complete remediation or have plans in place depending on building height.
FRS requirements
For the purposes of this survey, the definition of responsible entity is the organisation that has the legal obligation or right to carry out the remediation works, having primary responsibility for the repair of the property (as per the Building Safety Fund definition).
Landlords were asked to report on the current remediation status of those buildings where the most recent Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) or Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) identified a Life Critical Fire Safety (LCFS) defect.
The deadline for this version of the survey pre-dates the publication of the Remediation Acceleration Plan and so may not capture any changes made in response.
Survey data coverage
The Quarter 2 survey was issued to all large landlords (those owning 1,000 or more units of social stock), small landlords (those owning fewer than 1,000 units of social stock) who reported previously that they were responsible for relevant buildings, and any landlord who had not responded to any previous surveys. The FRS is designed to capture data on relevant buildings for which landlords are the responsible entity on a specific date.
Landlords were asked to complete the survey on a registered group basis, where this applied, or as an individual return where it did not. The survey required landlords to provide aggregate level information to RSH for all relevant buildings where they are the responsible entity. Local Authority Registered Providers (LARPs) were asked to complete the survey on a voluntary basis as this return is not currently on the Single Data List.
Other data sources
In addition to the survey return for RSH, in which landlords report on their stock at an aggregate level, landlords were also asked to submit fire safety remediation data at an individual building level for assessment by MHCLG.
The building level data are not presented here, but were used during the data cleaning process to ensure consistency. Building level data are available on the MHCLG website.
Response rate
The data referred to in this publication were reported in the Q2 2024/2025 survey, which ran from 20 September to 21 October 2024, with data being reported as at 30 September 2024.
Through the FRS, the regulator holds data on the relevant building stock for 99% of landlords (1,488 out of the 1,502 on our register). This includes those landlords that have reported they are not the responsible entity for any relevant building. The regulator holds data from 100% of large Private Registered Providers (PRPs) and large LARPs. Large landlords account for 97% of all social housing units in the sector and are responsible for the vast majority of relevant buildings.
Changes to registered provider (RP) reporting
The number of buildings reported by a landlord in each survey can change due to acquisition or loss of buildings or through new intelligence about a building that brings it within or takes it outside the scope of the definition.
Furthermore, group structure changes and new landlords being registered can change the number of landlords reporting data. As such, we advise caution in interpreting data changes over time as they may be influenced, at least in part, by a change in the number of reported buildings and their assessment status at each quarter end.
Data validation and cleansing may also focus attention on particular areas of the FRS more intensively in a particular round, especially when new questions are introduced in either the FRS or the building level collection for MHCLG as alignment between the two is required. This can mean that RPs review their data in these areas more closely and change how they report data across both elements.
For more information see the data quality note and the accompanying technical notes and definitions.
Key facts
| 17,515 relevant buildings reported | 29% (432) of all landlords report being responsible for at least one relevant building in this quarter. The majority of these were large landlords. |
| 99.2% of buildings reported have had a fire risk assessment | Fire risk assessments have been undertaken on 99.2% of all buildings reported, with a further 0.2% planned within the next six months of the survey. |
| 1,996 buildings were identified as having a LCFS EWS defect | 1,996 buildings (11.4% of all relevant buildings) were identified as having a life critical fire safety (LCFS) defect relating to the external wall system (EWS). |
| 69.2% of relevant buildings with a LCFS EWS defect will be remediated within five years | 1,381 of the 1,996 buildings identified as having a LCFS EWS defect are expected to be remediated within the next five years, this includes 10.5% (210 buildings) that are due to be completed in the next six months. |
Figures based on data submitted by 99% of landlords, including from 100% of large PRPs and large LARPs.
Building stock
| Reporting landlords are responsible entities for 17,515 relevant buildings. | 72% of these buildings are 11-18 metres in height. | 54% of relevant buildings are owned by PRPs with the remaining 46% owned by LARPs. |
In Q2 2024/2025, landlords reported being responsible for 17,515 relevant buildings, a small increase from the previous quarter (17,457).
The majority of these buildings (72% or 12,547) measured 11-18 metres, with the rest (4,968) measuring over 18 metres.
54% (9,411) of relevant buildings were owned by Private Registered Providers (PRPs) with the rest (8,104) owned by Local Authority Registered Providers (LARPs).
Relevant buildings reported by size
| Number of buildings reported by RP type in Q2 24/25 | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All buildings | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large PRP | 6,610 | 2,195 | 8,805 | 52.7 | 44.2 | 50.3 |
| Large LARP | 5,410 | 2,677 | 8,087 | 43.1 | 53.9 | 46.2 |
| Small PRP | 510 | 96 | 606 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 3.5 |
| Small LARP | 17 | - | 17 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
The proportion of buildings which have had an FRA has increased despite the increase in the total number of buildings reported. This suggests that landlords are continuing their programme of assessments.
Findings
Fire risk assessments
| FRAs undertaken on 99.2% of all relevant buildings. | 99.9% of 18 metre plus buildings have had an FRA. | A quarter of buildings with outstanding FRAs are due to be assessed in the next 6 months. |
Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) are reported to have been completed on 99.2% (17,383) of all relevant buildings, compared to 99.0% (17,277) in the previous quarter.
99.0% (12,418) of 11-18 metre buildings have had an FRA, compared to 98.6% (12,330) in the previous quarter.
99.9% (4,965) of those measuring 18 metres plus have had an FRA. This is the same proportion as the previous quarter.
Landlords reported that 24% of the outstanding 132 FRAs will be completed in the next 6 months.
Outstanding FRA planned assessment periods
| Assessment period | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All buildings | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessed | 12,418 | 4,965 | 17,383 | 99.0 | 99.9 | 99.2 |
| Before the end of next quarter (between 1 October and 31 December 2024) | 30 | 2 | 32 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| After the end of next quarter but before the end of six months (between 1 January and 31 March 2025) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Beyond 6 months (after 1 April 2025) | 99 | 0 | 99 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
The proportion of buildings which have had an FRA has increased despite the increase in the total number of buildings reported. This suggests that landlords are continuing their programme of assessments.
Defect identification
| 1,996 relevant buildings were identified as being affected by LCFS defects related to EWS. | 54.2% (1,089) of relevant buildings affected by EWS related LCFS defects measure 11-18 metres. This is a similar proportion as in the previous quarter (54.4%). |
11.4% (1,996) of all relevant buildings reported were reported as being affected by LCFS defects related to EWS, similar to the 11.1% (1,932) of relevant buildings reported in the previous quarter.
This increase may be, at least in part, due to the addition of newly reported buildings, as well as the increase in the number of assessments undertaken.
Within the rest of this report we refer to those buildings which have an LCFS defect related to EWS (the 11.4% of relevant buildings) as ‘affected buildings’.
Buildings assessed and EWS LCFS defects identified
| Defect type | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All buildings | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessed and no EWS LCFS defect | 11,328 | 4,059 | 15,387 | 90.3 | 81.7 | 87.9 |
| EWS LCFS defect | 1,090 | 906 | 1,996 | 8.7 | 18.2 | 11.4 |
| Not assessed | 129 | 3 | 132 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
Remediation status
| Landlords report that remediation work has started (but not yet completed) on 22.3% (445) of affected buildings, decreasing from 30.7% (594) in the previous quarter. | Landlords report that work is complete on 7.2% (144) of affected buildings (this includes those still awaiting building control sign off), an increase from 5.6% (108) in the previous quarter. |
There are plans in place to remediate a further 41.6% (831) of affected buildings, however plans were unclear or there were no plans in place for 28.7% (572) of affected buildings reported. Responses to follow up engagement from previous surveys indicate that this is due to a range of factors, including navigating complex legal arrangements, difficulties sourcing contractors and supply chain delays.
Following changes to questions in the building level data collection, some landlords reported they had reviewed the start and completion dates for work. This led to some landlords identifying data quality issues with the statuses of works previously reported and others reporting timescales being unclear for more of their buildings as they were unable to provide more specific timescales for forecast work. For more information see data quality note.
| Remediation status | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remediation work complete* | 65 | 79 | 144 | 6.0 | 8.7 | 7.2 |
| Remediation work in progress | 262 | 183 | 445 | 24.0 | 20.2 | 22.3 |
| Remediation work planned | 417 | 414 | 831 | 38.3 | 45.7 | 41.6 |
| Remediation plans unclear or incomplete | 345 | 227 | 572 | 31.7 | 25.1 | 28.7 |
| Work is not required | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
*Remediation works complete in this chart includes those where the works are complete but where building control sign off has not yet been secured.
Remediation timescales for commencement of works
| Landlords reported that work had already started or is complete on 29.5% (589) of affected buildings. | Works are due to commence on 15.3% (305) in the next six months, and a further 34.6% (691) within 5 years. |
Landlords reported work had already started or was complete on 29.5% of affected buildings and is due to commence on a further 49.9% within the next five years.
1.3% (26) of affected buildings have an expected works commencement date within five to ten years’ time.
19.3% (385) of affected buildings have an expected works commencement date that is beyond ten years or is unclear. This is a change from that reported in the previous quarter (8.7% or 168).
The introduction of questions into the building level collection asking for more granular dates may have resulted in an increased focus on this area. For more information see data quality note.
| Commencement period | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started already (includes completed before 30 September 2024) | 327 | 262 | 589 | 30.0 | 28.9 | 29.5 |
| Due to complete in the next six months (by 31 March 2025) | 165 | 140 | 305 | 15.1 | 15.5 | 15.3 |
| Due to complete after next six months but within next five years (between 1 April 2025 and 30 September 2029) | 341 | 350 | 691 | 31.3 | 38.6 | 34.6 |
| Due to complete after then next five years but within next ten years (between 1 October 2029 and 30 September 2034) | 13 | 13 | 26 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Due to complete beyond ten years (after 30 September 2034) or completion date unclear from survey | 244 | 141 | 385 | 22.4 | 15.6 | 19.3 |
Caution should be employed in interpreting changes in these data as buildings reported are not necessarily the same in each quarter. Those remediated and reassessed are excluded, and newly reported buildings with LCFS EWS defects will be included each quarter.
Remediation timescales for completion of works
| 69.2% (1,381) are due to be completed within the next five years. | 3.4% (68) of affected buildings are due to be completed in five to ten years’ time. | 23.2% (463) of affected buildings have a completion date that is beyond ten years or is unclear from the survey response. |
When asked for estimated timescales for the remediation of affected buildings, landlords reported that 69.2% (1,381) are due to be completed within the next five years. This includes 10.5% (210) which are due to be completed in the next six months.
Landlords also report that remediation works are completed for 4.2% (84) of affected buildings. These are buildings where the remediation works have been completed but the building is awaiting a new FRA.
The introduction of questions into the building level collection asking for more granular dates may have resulted in an increased focus on this area. For more information see data quality note.
Remediation completion periods
Buildings assessed as having EWS related LCFS defects
| Completion period | 11-18m buildings | 18m+ buildings | All | % of 11-18m buildings | % of 18m+ buildings | % of all buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete | 41 | 43 | 84 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Due to complete in the next six months (by 31 March 2025) | 101 | 109 | 210 | 9.3 | 12.0 | 10.5 |
| Due to complete after next six months but within next five years (between 1 April 2025 and 30 September 2029) | 654 | 517 | 1171 | 60.0 | 57.1 | 58.7 |
| Due to complete after then next five years but within next ten years (between 1 October 2029 and 30 September 2034) | 27 | 41 | 68 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| Due to complete beyond ten years (after 30 September 2034) or completion date unclear from survey | 267 | 196 | 463 | 24.5 | 21.6 | 23.2 |
Caution should be employed in interpreting changes in these data as buildings reported are not necessarily the same in each quarter. Those remediated and reassessed are excluded, and newly reported buildings with LCFS EWS defects will be included each quarter.
Next steps
Landlords are expected to take timely action to remediate LCFS defects from the buildings they are responsible for, so that tenants are safe and can feel safe in their homes. It is for boards and councillors to ensure these plans are delivered. Risks to tenants in any interim period before works are complete, including whilst works are being undertaken, must be fully understood, with landlords taking mitigating actions required to protect tenants as necessary.
We will continue to monitor the performance of landlords in remediating relevant affected buildings and the progress they are making against their plans, with the survey continuing to be issued on a quarterly basis.
We will engage with landlords in the course of our regulation, including through our programme of inspections which commenced in April 2024.
We will continue to undertake follow up engagement with landlords whose returns indicate that they may be an outlier in progressing this work, including those who have reported unclear plans. We will be discussing with them their remediation plans and how they are mitigating the risks associated with fire safety defects which are not yet remediated.
Data quality note
The RSH survey returns were subject to an internal validation process through the NROSH+ system which helps to minimise data entry errors. We have found the aggregate level results of this survey to be broadly consistent with our regulatory understanding of landlords’ progress on remediation and with the results of the previous survey.
We hold the data for 99% of landlords. This means that, although response coverage is very good and data accuracy is improving, the data may not provide a complete picture of fire safety remediation plans across all relevant buildings in the sector. All large PRPs and LARPs responded to the Quarter 2 2024/2025 survey. We have included some data from previous surveys in this publication to ensure a more comprehensive dataset. The data included from previous surveys are from one small landlord who had not responded to the Quarter 2 survey at the time of writing, but had responded to the previous survey. In total, 15 small landlords have not responded to any survey. It should be noted that small landlords are much less likely to be a responsible entity for any relevant buildings.
As we analyse submissions, we monitor the quality of data provided and engage directly with landlords where we have concerns about data accuracy.
We expect landlords to follow the guidance provided with the survey to ensure responses are accurate. Landlords must also ensure their response to the Fire Remediation Survey fully match the MHCLG Building Level Survey response.
Changes to the survey impacting these statistics
Building level questions on the remediation dates for specific buildings introduced this quarter and collected alongside the FRS may have resulted in an increased focus on the dates for commencing and completing works. The FRS collects information on work progress in wide time bands and recognises some estimation required for works over the longer term. In Quarter 2 the individual building level data collected by MHCLG sought to secure more specific dates for work progress for each building. Some landlords reported being unable to determine more precise dates and therefore chose to report ‘unknown’ timeframes in this quarter as a result in order to align the aggregate FRS data and the individual building level data. However, our engagement work has found that there are broad time periods identified for many buildings for which an exact date is not yet known.
Glossary of terms
External wall system (EWS)
The external wall system (EWS) is made up of the outside wall of a residential building, including cladding, insulation, fire break systems, etc.
Large provider/ small provider
A large provider is a registered provider that own 1,000 or more social housing units/ bedspaces, a small provider is a registered provider that owns fewer than 1,000 social housing units/ bedspaces.
Life critical fire safety (LCFS) defects
LCFS are defined as defects, shrinkages, faults or other failings in a building that give rise to fire safety risks identified by a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall construction or a fire risk assessment (or equivalent) undertaken to industry standards.
Local Authority Registered Provider (LARP)
Local authorities who own social housing must be registered with the RSH.
Private Registered Provider (PRP)
PRPs refer in this document to providers of social housing in England that are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and are not local authorities. This is the definition of PRP in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
Relevant building
A residential building measuring 11 metres plus or that have 5 storeys or more. Where we refer to 11-18 metre buildings this includes those that have 5 or 6 storeys and where we refer to 18 metre plus buildings this includes buildings with 7 storeys or more.