Since the Grenfell Tower fire, safety rules for blocks of flats have changed enormously. Legal updates and additional regulations have been brought in to improve safety and accountability, and to ensure building risks are better understood and managed.
For residents, Right to Manage companies and resident-controlled blocks, the legal detail can feel complex, but the practical impact is easier to understand. Ultimately, building managers and residents should now experience better fire risk assessments, clearer safety information, stronger oversight and more focus on competent building management.
Here we’ll explain the real-world changes brought about by recent legal updates and what they mean for you.
Why the Law Changed
Before Grenfell, many responsibilities around flat entrance doors, external walls and cladding were not always clear in practice. Since then, new laws have aimed to close those gaps.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential buildings must consider the structure, external walls, cladding, balconies, windows and flat entrance doors that open onto common parts.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced new duties for Responsible Persons, including providing residents with fire safety instructions and information about fire doors. Higher-rise buildings have additional duties, such as providing floor plans and building information to fire and rescue services.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced stronger oversight for higher-risk buildings and, in many cases, leaseholder protections for historic building safety defects.
Stronger Regulation and Competent Management
The Building Safety Act has increased expectations around competence and accountability. For higher-risk buildings, there are stricter duties around managing building safety risks, keeping records and engaging with residents.
Even where a block is not legally classed as higher-risk, the direction of travel is clear. Managing agents, directors and freeholders are expected to take fire and building safety extremely seriously. This means appointing competent professionals, keeping clear records, acting on recommendations and reviewing risks regularly.
What Residents Should Now See in Practice
The main change should be a more pro-active approach to safety. Fire safety should no longer be hidden in a file. Residents should be given clear information about what to do in the event of a fire, the importance of fire doors and how to report concerns. The goal is not to alarm residents, but to make sure everyone understands the building and what to do if something goes wrong.
In many blocks, fire risk assessments should now be more robust. They should not only look at corridors and stairwells, but also consider external walls, cladding, balconies and flat entrance doors where relevant.
Residents in taller buildings may also notice clearer signage, more regular checks, secure information boxes, updated fire door processes and better communication from managing agents or responsible persons.
Costs and Liability: What Has Changed?
One major change since Grenfell is the shift in how some remediation costs are dealt with. The Building Safety Act introduced protections that can limit what leaseholders have to pay for certain historic building safety defects in qualifying buildings.
Government guidance for sections 116 to 125 and Schedule 8 of the Act explains there is now a limit to some costs that can be passed through the service charge. This is important and, in many cases, the law now pushes responsibility towards landlords, developers and associated parties before leaseholders.
However, the protections are complex. They depend on the building, the lease, the type of defect, ownership history and whether the leaseholder qualifies. No one should assume all costs are automatically covered or excluded and leaseholders should seek specialist advice if large safety costs are proposed.
What This Means for Right to Manage and Resident-Controlled Blocks
Right to Manage companies and RMCs may have more control over their building, but that also brings additional responsibility.
Resident directors will need to ensure fire risk assessments are up to date, recommendations are tracked, contractors are competent and residents receive the right information. They also need to manage insurance, remediation projects and potentially difficult communication around costs.
This does not mean volunteer directors must become fire safety experts. It does mean, however, that they should know when to seek specialist support. Fire engineers, competent risk assessors, building surveyors, solicitors and managing agents all play a role in supporting resident-led blocks.
Communication is now central to excellent block management. Good communication builds confidence, while poor communication can create fear and suspicion. Residents should be kept informed regarding fire procedures, planned safety works, door checks, remediation progress and how to report hazards.
For resident-controlled blocks, regular updates can make a huge difference. Even when there is no quick solution, residents usually cope better when they understand what is happening and why.
A Simple Resident Checklist
Residents can take practical steps to help ensure their building is being managed safely.
Our suggested checklist includes:
- Checking whether your building has an up-to-date fire risk assessment.
- Asking which evacuation strategy applies to your block.
- Reading fire safety information sent by your managing agent or RMC and questioning anything that is unclear.
- Keeping your flat entrance door in good condition and reporting any defects.
- Not blocking corridors, stairs or escape routes.
- Asking whether external walls, balconies and cladding have been reviewed.
- Keeping copies of service charge and major works documents for future reference.
- Asking how safety recommendations are tracked to ensure follow ups are completed.
- Raising any concerns calmly and in writing.
- Seeking advice from the Leasehold Advisory Service or a specialist solicitor if large remediation costs are proposed.
Final Thoughts
The laws introduced since Grenfell have changed residential block management in a lasting way. They have expanded what must be considered, improved resident information and strengthened accountability.
For residents, fire and building safety should now be more visible, more structured and more professionally managed.
For resident-controlled blocks, the expectation is to treat safety as a normal part of day-to-day governance. With clear records, competent advice and open communication, blocks can become safer, better- managed and more trusted places to live.
