A new bill being voted on by the House of Lords today would ensure that leasehold residents and tenants will not be charged for certifying their buildings are up to date with the fire code.

Following the devastating Grenfell Towers of fire of 2017, in which 71 people died in West London, changes were made to the fire safety requirements across the UK.

As work goes ahead to remove the unsafe cladding covering many buildings, many residents are suddenly faced with bills totalling tens of thousands of pounds. Residents of one building in Manchester were quoted a price of 78,000 pounds per flat for the repairs.

The New Law

The proposed amendment to the Fire Safety Act would forbid owners from transmitting the cost of repairs to their tenants. It is expected to pass the Lords and then it will be up to the government to uphold it in the House of Commons and implement it.

They have already announced a fund of one billion pounds to change unsafe cladding in the next two years. However, building owners have still passed some of the remaining costs on to tenants.

Lib Dem Barronness Kath Pinnock has championed this cause saying, that because freeholders are forcing tenants and leaseholders to assume the costs of remediation, many are faced with the choice of bankruptcy or selling their home well below market price because of the repair work needing to be undertaken. She adds that the responsibility falls to the cabinet ministers to guarantee that people are not punished for the mistakes of the building owners, who neglected the residents’ safety in the first place.

The Labour and Lib Dem coalition has also said that it would begin creating a registry of fire safety, one of the recommendations put forward in the inquiry into the Grenfell fire. This would help prospective tenants and buyers to learn whether a property is up to code.

Owners would also be forced to publicize information on their wall construction with the fire department.

The Labour and Lib Dem lords are looking into implementing the other recommendations from the report. According to Lord Kennedy ministers have had over a year to consider what actions need to be taken and have not delivered on their promises.

Fire Safety Training

For those who are interested in private fire safety training, consider using Pro Trainers UK. They offer quality training from experts who are familiar with the specific fire safety codes in your area.

Their tailor made courses are sure to improve fire awareness and security in your building.

This Manchester based company will make sure your facility is up to code and explain all the safety procedures you are required to follow. Their expert fire safety assessors offer fire warden training for any business, which is mandated by law and will inform you of all fire risks present in your building as well as the steps you can take to minimize them.

For more information you can contact them at: http://www.pro-trainersuk.co.uk/contact-us/