Painter House RA

Residents Association account for Painter House, London. Affected by the #BuildingSafetyScandal

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

Find out the latest on the Earl of Lytton's solutions to the building safety crisis and service charge abuse plus the new trusthold amendments to make commnonhold work practically here:

https://t.co/B5MM7vZjV6

Coming back to the House of Lords on June 5th!

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

In July 2021 we launched the Polluter Pays campaign which argued the construction industry should pay to fix all defective blocks of flats in the country instead of innocent homeowners or tax payers.

The government publicly admitted multiple times to working with us over a nine month period but in the end chose to protect the construction industry (especially the cladding manufacturers) instead.

They watered down the developer contracts so they didn't cover structural defects and excluded 1.7 million people from all protections under the Building Safety Act. They've also stalled the UK flat market with large numbers of conveyancers refusing work on blocks of flats due to the flawed legislation.

Our campaign video from 2021 is therefore still relevant to 2024. We ask the governement to implement the Earl of Lytton's https://t.co/6mb7YFFbg3 and bring in consumer protection for blocks of flats and pay for all historic building safety defects for all leaseholders to unlock the flat market.

#BuildingSafetyCrisis #EndOurCladdingScandal

[Ted Baillieu @TedBaillieu]

The origin of Lord Lytton's Building Safety Remediation Scheme Amendment. Comprehensive. All properties. All situations. Forever. Fair. Works. Professional. Essential. Inevitable. 6 years plus after Grenfell, all else has failed - vested interests!
And Leaseholders Keep Paying.

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

It is so important for MPS and peers to look at and support this proposed scheme to end the #buildingSafetyCrisis. In effect it is consumer protection on our biggest purchase, our home. @UKHouseofLords @HouseofCommons @mtpennycook @michaelgove. It is comprehensive and it works.

[KWAJO- Social Issues Campaigner @Kwajotweneboa]

I’m also aware it’s happening in the same block to multiple residents.

Need an update on this ASAP or I’ll have to pay them all a visit 👁️👁️ @THCHousing

[KWAJO- Social Issues Campaigner @Kwajotweneboa]

@THCHousing what’s being done about this???

Whilst your staff had time off enjoying Christmas, your residents had to deal with their homes being destroyed.

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

At least 3 different flats in this building suffering ongoing leaks (years) in this building over Christmas. This flat is top floor, indicating the problem is the roof. Survey reports indicate 119 faults on the roof. Nothing is done to fix. @HousingOmbuds where are you?

[ashadur rahman @gazrahman3]

Seems like am going to end up in hospital, leaks are never ending this is today @THCHousing FAY @PoplarHARCA @RSHEngland @LutfurRahmanTH @CllrAsma_Islam @Kwajotweneboa @petermengerink @CoffeeAfrique @CllrMarcFrancis @michaelgove

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

The best Christmas for all 1.7 million unqualifying leaseholders under the Building Safety Act will be the department getting write round clearance for the clauses of the Building Safety Remediation Scheme drafted by Daniel Greenberg CB, backed by construction lawyer David Sawtell and bring an end to the three tier UK flat market causing chaos and blocking sales of UK flats.

This could get considerably worse if the Building Safety Act freeholder backstop is removed via freeholder insolvencies and qualifying leaseholders no longer have funding for their remediations.

More information on the Earl of Lytton's legislation here, it's desperately needed in 2024 : https://t.co/6mb7YFFbg3

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year. May 2024 be the year of consumer protection for blocks of flats and a permanent end to the #BuildingSafetyCrisis for all.

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

It also seems that a residents led petition on the merger has more respondents than your consultation saying they don't want this merger, in stark contrast to your outcome. Perhaps you should release your data + not ignore the petition. @RSHEngland @LutfurRahmanTH
@HousingOmbuds

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

Morning @THCHousing, there are some serious allegations in this article which I feel to be true. It would be good to see a response from you about this : https://t.co/us9Q2oOlTe

@michaelgove @rushanaraali @ApsanaBegumMP

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

This is why the @polluterpaysbsb (building remediation scheme) is so incredibly important, it is in effect consumer protection on your biggest purchase. It is vital it becomes law.

[SHAC @SHAC_Action]

While @NHGhousing accumulates millions in surpluses, their tenants & residents struggle with soaring rents.

Demand NHG freezes rents and caps service charges in April.

Join #UnfairAndUncapped

Add your name ⏬⏬⏬
https://t.co/fDzoAYLQC0

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

Permanent Impairment Status? The likely effect of non qualifying leases on the UK flat market.

The government's decision to exclude 1.7million leaseholders from protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 (preventing Landlords from passing on the costs of remediating unsafe buildings to leaseholders) has created a three tier flat market causing chaos to conveyancers.

Under the Act, leaseholders owning certain categories of property (non-qualifying leaseholders) receive limited or no protection from remediation costs. Owners with more than three properties and enfranchised leaseholders could be liable for all non-cladding remediation costs. Those living in properties below 11 meters get no protection at all.

This has created a three tier flat market, as a property’s non-qualifying status is permanent; it does not change even if sold on. Many conveyancers are already declining instructions on the sale of leasehold flats owing to the difficulty of establishing and confirming a property’s status, ie. does it qualify for Building Safety Act protections or not. The market faces further turmoil from 2025, as under the Basel 3.1 standards, lenders will be required to revalue a property when “an event occurs that results in a likely permanent deduction in the property’s value”. It is reasonable to assume that this will present further downward pressure on the value of non-qualifying properties and potentially higher mortgage rates for any purchasers.

There is however an alternative, the Earl of Lytton's Building Safety Remediation Scheme which aims to protect all leaseholders and remove the 3 tier flat market . The government would do well to implement this legislation to prevent further difficulties for those living in leasehold flats, end the non qualifying status and prevent further issues in the housing market and financial sector.

The country needs this legislation urgently. It will return to the Lords at the next legislative opportunity.

More here : https://t.co/6mb7YFFbg3

Email the Earl with your thoughts : [email protected]

#EndOurCladdingScandal #BuildingSafetyCrisis @TedBaillieu @stephenjdesmond @TConveyancer @DgLimited @ahillslegal @ZahrahAullyboc2 @drfsawtell

[Suzanne Muna @Muna_Suz]

Every man-made disaster has one thing in common. People at the sharp end warned those in power that the actions they were taking were wrong, but were ignored.

Here it is again - a massive majority of @THCHousing tenants & residents don't want merger with @PoplarHARCA.

[SHAC @SHAC_Action]

Totally agree. Merging two housing associations both in financial difficulty is a ticking time bomb.

This is playing a game of dice with the lives of tenants & residents.

Consult properly to find a solution that works for the people living there.

#StopTheMergerTHCH

[Peter Mengerink @petermengerink]

Why when there massive opposition to the proposed merger do all parties intend to push it through with no scrutiny or openness? @SHAC_Action @RSHEngland @PoplarHARCA @THCHousing @TowerHamletsNow

Residents are not listened to.
https://t.co/zrllljg0LW

[LondonWorld @LondonWorldCom]

The housing association has been granted permission to appeal the decision on five grounds, with a potential two more to also be allowed at a hearing in the new year. https://t.co/TCSfvBwZ4q

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Building Safety Remediation Scheme to be Debated in the House of Lords on September 13th, 2023

Jeremy Hunt has been warned that the government could face a multi-billion pound bill to rescue up to 1.7 million potential victims of the post Grenfell building safety crisis. If nothing is done, the government faces the risk of large numbers of innocent people losing their homes and lenders facing heavy losses as leases are forfeited.

The crisis arises because the government’s leaseholder protection legislation introduced last year, with the aim of tackling the fall-out from the Grenfell fire in 2017, does not cover three groups of people: those living in low rise flats, those who have enfranchised and those who own more than three flats. 

Unless this is put right up to 1.7 million homeowners find themselves in an uncertain position until all buildings have been assessed for fire safety issues. Not all buildings will have issues but the entire flat market has been hit as no one yet knows which buildings are affected. Those in buildings found to be unsafe are either left with a flat they can't sell or forced to pay for thousands or even tens of thousands of pounds of costs they can’t afford in order to remediate a range of building safety defects, including any Grenfell type cladding found on low-rise blocks. They may even be living in potentially dangerous flats that need to be urgently made safe. 

The government implemented partial leaseholder protections last year, protecting only a proportion of homeowners from ruinous building safety remediation costs. However, this has created a problematic three tier flat market, of those fully protected, partially protected and not protected at all. This is causing difficulties for conveyancers obtaining professional indemnity insurance as they have to determine a buyer’s potential liability by analysing complex information relating to the status of the seller and building owner. This risks a significant percentage of conveyancers declining fresh instructions on flats, running the risk of stalling a significant part of the UK Housing Market.

The crisis could deepen next year when new banking rules take effect. The Bank of England is due to say how it will implement “Basel 3.1” standards from the beginning of 2025. These will force lenders to revalue a loan if “an event occurs that results in a likely permanent reduction in the property’s value…” With the current legislation creating a three tier flat market, widespread revaluations seem to be unavoidable. Leaseholders who are partially or wholly unprotected will suffer – and banks that have lent them money could find that their mortgages turn into bad debts that cannot be repaid.

The crisis is addressed by an amendment to the government’s bill tabled by the Earl of Lytton, a crossbench peer, scheduled for debate in the House Lords next Wednesday. It seeks to make the developer or lead contractor permanently liable for building defects at the time of construction or recover from a wide building industry levy if the builder no longer exists. This amendment would work alongside the existing government schemes but crucially aims to fund the remediation of all unsafe flats, protecting the 1.7 million currently excluded homeowners and removing the three tier flat market.

The amendment is widely supported by 48,000 people, the National Residential Landlords Association and most recently by Property Mark who represent 17,500 property agents who wrote: "We believe that the amendments proposed by the Earl of Lytton provide greater protections for leaseholders, removing loopholes and establishing an independent body that would enforce liability, while also expanding the types of buildings where leaseholders would qualify for protections."

To read more about the Earl of Lytton’s amendment, please visit https://t.co/Dzf1VTba59

Contact details:

Stephen Day 
(E) : [email protected]

[Painter House RA @painter_ra]

Great article, a must read for anyone affected by the building safety crisis.

[Building Safety Scheme (LFRB) @polluterpaysbsb]

The Earl of Lytton explains to the British Safety Council on why the https://t.co/6mb7YFFbg3 amendment is needed.

1. Protect the 1.7 million excluded leaseholders with remediation costs funded by the construction industry.
2. Remove the 3 tiers of 'protection' status (needlessly introduced by the Building Safety Act) blighting the UK flat market and causing conveyancers to reject this work due to lack of insurance cover.
3. Ensure the construction industry is the backstop for remediation costs, as many of the landlords are thinly capitalised so making them the backstop could result in many qualifying leaseholders being left in legal limbo due to freeholder insolvency.
4. Ensure that the rotten culture in construction ends with permanent joint and several liability on the developer or lead contractor or their parent companies.

Read here : https://t.co/BcqxVPf4qO

#EndOurCladdingScandal #BuildingSafetyCrisis @team_greenhalgh @stephenjdesmond @gtomlin @ZahrahAullyboc2 @ahillslegal @BSBcampaigner