The building safety system is about to change - again - and you need to be ready

The Government has fired the starting gun on the next phase of building safety reform, and for the residential management industry the message is clear: we should expect a more targeted, risk‑based, and data‑driven regime that demands sharper management and faster action.

In a statement from Samantha Dixon, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy, published on Thursday 9th July 2026, she has set out the next steps the Government is taking to improve the effectiveness, proportionality and overall operation of the building safety regime.

Here are the changes announced by the Minister that you really need to know.

The Government has announced a tightening of the regime to ensure specialist resources are focused where they matter most. The Building Safety Regulator has outlined a new approach and reset of the Building Assessment certificate regime with a clear statement to PAPs and APs that just because things are changing, it doesn’t stop the need for Safety Case Reports to be made ready.

The changes will mean that your application can be called in at any time with little or no notice.

The Government has directed a number of targeted dispensations specifically for telecoms work within and on buildings, including HRB’s.

The Minister has made a “Direction” under the Building Safety Act that dispenses the need to make applications for building work that solely consists of the drilling of holes measuring 25mm or less in diameter in internal or external walls for the installation of only fibre optic cabling in existing buildings (whether high-risk or not), subject to compliance with a number of conditions. These conditions include the provision of fire-stopping proof of competence, adherence to certain British Standards, as well as notifying the Building Safety Regulator (regarding works within HRBs) on completion of the works with a statement that the contractor has fulfilled their duties. This dispensation comes into force on Tuesday 1st September 2026 and will last for 3 years.

This Direction has effectively delivered a two tier system; any telecom related works have this dispensation and do not require an application under the Building Regulations and the Gateway regime, but other works, such as electrical, plumbing or other such work that involve the drilling of holes of any size are not subject to this dispensation. The latter will have to apply for Building Regulations Approval and Completion Certificate through the Gateway regime.

Additionally, the Minister has provided further “Direction,” that provides dispensation from the need to apply for approval through the Gateway regime for the erection and installation of a mobile communications mast on a rooftop of an existing higher-risk building, and any ancillary connections or associated works required for that installation. These are also subject to complying with certain conditions, similar to those relating to the provision of holes, but none of which relate to the checking of the roof structures capability to support such a mast and the structure of the building. This will also come into force on Tuesday 1st September.

Again we have what seems to be a two-tier system; the installation of a telecoms mast – which may weigh over 800kg – does not need to apply for permission, whereas a pergola weighing less than 100kg installed on a roof top terrace on a HRB does.

The Minister has confirmed that remediation funding will now prioritise buildings based on risk to life, not just height.

That means that for high‑risk buildings, regardless of whether they’re 6m or 18m, move to the front of the queue. A new pot of funding is being opened for under 11m buildings with serious cladding defects. Applications for the fund open in August 2026 and for owners and managers of smaller blocks, this is the first meaningful route to government-backed remediation.

This also looks like the first move towards bringing in a different definition for higher risk buildings, which was considered by the Building Safety Regulator in February this year, and is now under review on an annual basis.

Government investigations show that most buildings measuring under 11 metres don’t need full cladding remediation, but some do.  So, a targeted extension of the Cladding Safety Scheme will fund remediation for the highest‑risk cases. As with the other schemes, Homes England will administer the programme and remaining funds may be used where they deliver the greatest reduction in risk.

Homes England will introduce a single national database showing remediation progress across the country. Managers should therefore expect:

• Greater transparency
• Better oversight
• More scrutiny of Responsible Persons

If your building is slow to act, it will be visible.

Leaseholders are still under pressure by soaring insurance premiums even after remediation, and therefore, the Government is launching a focused review with:

• The Financial Conduct Authority
• Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
• HM Treasury
• Association of British Insurers

The review will examine:

• How insurers price multi‑occupancy buildings
• Whether products offer fair value
• How remediation work is factored into risk
• Whether the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility is actually reducing premiums

Expect pressure on insurers to justify costs.

The Government has confirmed that it will legislate to create a Single Construction Regulator (SCR – not to be confused with Safety Case Report), built on the foundation of the Building Safety Regulator. The aim is to provide a clearer, fairer, more coherent regulatory system which, the Government is suggesting, should deliver:

• Better outcomes for residents
• More clarity for industry

This is the biggest structural reform since the Building Safety Act was introduced, but concerns have been raised that the Single Construction Regulator will focus on construction rather than existing buildings, which is also within its remit… we will have to wait and see.

The Government has opened a consultation to tighten and clarify how emergency repairs should be handled within the higher‑risk building (HRB) regime, a move aimed squarely at removing confusion, reducing delays, and ensuring safety‑critical work can proceed at pace.

The current emergency repairs provision is designed to let duty holders act fast when there is an immediate risk to residents’ health, safety, or welfare, without waiting for full Building Safety Regulator building control approval. It preserves regulatory oversight while enabling urgent intervention. But in practice, it has not worked as intended.

Some urgent works fall outside the narrow definition of “emergency repairs,” forcing duty holders into the full gateway process even when delays increase risk. At the same time, unclear wording has left both duty holders and residents unsure when the emergency route can legitimately be used. This has led to two damaging behaviours: misuse by some, and hesitancy by others who fear enforcement action. The result is avoidable delays, unnecessary temporary measures, and prolonged exposure to safety risks, an outcome the Government now calls “unacceptable.”

The consultation aims to reshape the provision so that genuinely urgent works can move quickly, confidently, and lawfully through the HRB system.

The Government’s message is unmistakable: the building safety system is tightening, accelerating, and becoming far more targeted and property managers and owners are now firmly in the spotlight.

The reforms don’t reduce your duties; they raise expectations. You will be judged on organisation, readiness, and the speed and quality of your decision‑making. With new funding streams, national remediation data, tougher scrutiny, a reset Building Assessment Certificate regime, and a Single Construction Regulator on the way, the margin for delay or uncertainty is shrinking fast.

What matters now is disciplined management, clean evidence, and proactive action. The system is shifting to identify risk earlier, call buildings in faster, and expose slow or ineffective management publicly. If your building isn’t moving, everyone will see it.

This next phase demands that property managers and owners:

• Stay audit‑ready every day
• Drive remediation with clear plans and competent contractors
• Tighten operational control across fire, structure, and resident safety
• Prove compliance through accurate, accessible, safety‑critical information

The direction is clear: a sharper, risk‑led, data‑driven regime that rewards those who act early and exposes those who don’t. For property managers and owners, this is the moment to get ahead, not wait to be called in.