In light of the cladding disaster, homeowners in England and Wales will have 15 years to legally dispute bad building work, according to a minister. This would extend the present six-year time limit for bringing legal action against developers. The shift, according to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, will “place new cards in the hands of the leaseholders.” However, one leaseholder told the BBC that the news was “smoke and mirrors.” Labour claimed it would provide “little respite” since the costs and restrictions to pursuing legal action were “extremely great.” It comes amid fears that, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower incident, homeowners are footing the bill for fire safety improvements. Thousands of other blocks of flats were discovered to be covered in similar flammable cladding after the 2017 fire that killed 72 people. This prompted a program of work to remove the material from buildings, as well as other fire safety measures, which left many people with hefty expenses. New fire safety laws are being criticized by survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. What makes cladding dangerous, and what are your legal options? Mr Jenrick told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme that “neither the leaseholder nor the taxpayer” should pay for fire safety improvements. I’m announcing today that we’re going to modify the law retroactively to give any homeowner 15 years to sue the individuals who built their building if there’s any substandard work.” This is a big step forward; under the rules, you only had six years to launch legal action against the individual who built your property, as we discovered. This usually provides less protection than if you had purchased a toaster or a refrigerator.” “Most of the cladded buildings were built in the period between 2000-17,” Mr Jenrick replied when asked about structures older than 15 years. “Not all, but the vast majority of those who are dealing with this particular situation will now be aided by this extraordinary adjustment in the legislation,” he said. The amendment will be made as part of the Building Safety Bill, which will be released on Monday. The administration claims that the modification will be retroactively applied to new construction. “This might mean that inhabitants of a building built in 2010 that is unfit to live in, such as because of dangerous cladding put at the time of construction,” the government adds. However, Will Martin, a Sheffield leaseholder, told the BBC that Many issues were raised by Mr. Jenrick’s announcement. “My building is almost 15 years old, and my developer is bankrupt – what will he do now that the developer is bankrupt?” he wondered. “What will he do if the developer placed legal materials on the building’s side, but the materials are now illegal?” He stated, “I don’t know when my building will be safe, when I will be able to sell, when I will be able to move on with my life – it’s been a horrific four years.” He also voiced concern that, by the time the proposed rule change is enacted, many properties would have passed the time restriction. Giles Grover, a Manchester leaseholder, expressed worry about the practicality of residents suing a developer in court. “They’ll have a better legal team and be able to bury it in the long grass,” he said. While Brighton’s Kean Silvester told the BBC that he could use the extended time limit, he was concerned that the firms would have “an army of attorneys” and that legal action would be “expensive and unsafe.” The government’s announcement would “bring little relief to homeowners trapped in unsellable, unmortgageable homes, as those already in the scope of the deadline have found barriers to mounting legal action too high and costly, and outcomes ineffective,” according to Labour’s shadow housing secretary Lucy Powell. Instead, she suggested that leaseholders be legally protected from costs, and that a building works agency be established to “pursue developers themselves, to guarantee that the polluter pays.” image credit: Reuters Mr Jenrick expressed “great sympathy” for those suffering significant bills, adding that all Grenfell-style cladding would be removed from buildings by the end of the year, with the exception of a few cases. The government set aside £3.5 billion in February to replace dangerous cladding on residential structures with a height of 18 meters (six stories) or more in England. This comes on top of the £1.6 billion set aside in 2020 for the removal of hazardous cladding. Residents in buildings under 18m can apply for a loan to help pay for removal, with a maximum monthly payment of £50. Many leaseholders, however, are now facing expenses for other safety improvements such as fire breaks, safer doors, and sprinkler systems, according to activists. Are you impacted by the topics discussed in this article? Have your say by sending an email to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to speak with a BBC journalist, please include your phone number. You can also contact us using the following methods: +44 7756 165803 (WhatsApp) Upload photos or video to @BBC HaveYourSayUpload on Twitter: @BBC HaveYourSayUpload on Facebook: @BBC Ha Please read our terms and conditions as well as our privacy statement. If you can’t see the form on this page, go to the BBC’s mobile website to submit your question or remark, or email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Any entry should include your name, age, and location. The fire at Grenfell Tower/n
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