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<p>Building owners have a legal responsibility to make sure their buildings are safe.
While many freeholders are acting responsibly, a minority are failing to progress
remediation.</p><p>The department is aware of freeholders who are stalling on remediation
work through intelligence gathered from engagement with regulatory bodies, and updates
from our delivery partners who monitor buildings' progress through the government's
remediation funds (e.g., building safety fund and cladding safety scheme). This intelligence
is also used by the department to identify, monitor and contact owners of high-rise
buildings that have not registered for remediation schemes but may have unsafe cladding
systems. Where Freeholders fail to engage, the department works with local regulators
to compel them to take action.</p><p>Regulators (local authorities and fire and rescue
services) have statutory duties and a range of powers to compel responsible entities
to enter the funds and undertake the necessary remediation works. These powers range
from soft levers to enforcement powers under the Housing Act 2004 and Fire Safety
Order 2005. The department also holds account management meetings reviewing the largest
and/or most problematic freeholders to track progress and resolve blockers.</p><p>In
addition to the above Local Regulator powers, the Building Safety Act 2022 introduced
new enforcement powers, remediation orders (ROs) and remediation contribution orders
(RCOs), that allow regulators, the Secretary of State and leaseholders to apply to
the First-tier Tribunal for an order requiring a building owner to fix, and pay to
fix, their unsafe building within a specified time.</p>
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