Apartment Conveyancing subject to the Building Safety Act 2022

The Building Safety Act 2022 was introduced to improve the safety of residential buildings and to provide greater protection for those living in them.

Where a property is affected by the Act, buyers must be given key information before committing to the sale or purchase. Our role is to help you understand that information, assess the risks involved, and complete the transaction with confidence.

72 people died as a result of the June 2017 fire in Grenfell Tower – which was a high-rise residential apartment building.

The inquiry into the disaster criticised the inappropriate flammability of re-cladding retro-fitted to that building, safety issues in the building, and issues with the handling of the fire itself – and made a large number of recommendations in each area of criticism.

The Building Safety Act 2022 was part of the Government’s response to the inquiry. It is generally accepted that (arising from eagerness to be seen to accept every recommendation of the inquiry report) the structure of the legislation is extremely poor.

Residential lenders have sought to push compliance obligations onto their panel conveyancers. Most such conveyancer’s insurers have not been willing to allow their insured conveyancers to act subject to such risk.

The result is that few lawyers are willing to deal with transactions involving apartments in tall buildings.

We will advise on your specific circumstances, review the safety documentation provided, and handle all necessary legal steps through to registration. Our team has experience dealing with these matters and is well placed to support you with a clear, informed approach.

If you are selling or buying an apartment in a building between five and six storeys high, and would like support from a firm that understands the legal framework and will help you move forward smoothly, we are here to help.