The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has released its latest survey findings on fire safety remediation in social housing buildings over 11 metres tall. The report highlights ongoing progress and challenges in addressing life-critical fire safety defects, particularly those related to external wall systems.

Survey Overview and Key Findings

The data, collected between 12 December 2025 and 22 January 2026 and reported as of 31 December 2025, covers 17,010 relevant social housing buildings of 11 metres or more in height. Among these, 1,924 buildings were identified as having life-critical fire safety (LCFS) defects associated with their external wall systems.

Encouragingly, over 99.5% of these buildings have undergone a fire risk assessment, demonstrating widespread compliance with safety evaluation requirements. Furthermore, 1,468 buildings—equating to 76.3% of those with defects—are expected to be remediated within the next five years.

Since June 2017, 2,723 buildings have been identified with LCFS defects. Of these, 970 (35.6%) have either been fully remediated or have completed remediation and are awaiting a new building works assessment. This indicates steady progress but also underscores the scale of work still required.

Understanding Life-Critical Fire Safety Defects

LCFS defects are defined as faults, shrinkages, or other failings in a building’s structure that pose fire safety risks. These are typically identified through fire risk appraisals of external wall construction or equivalent assessments conducted to industry standards. The survey notes that 88.24% of relevant buildings have no outstanding or historic LCFS defects related to external wall systems since mid-2017.

It is important to interpret changes in the data cautiously, as variations may be influenced by the number of buildings reported and their assessment status at each quarter’s end. Additionally, one local authority landlord, the London Borough of Brent, was unable to provide full data due to an ongoing review, so only their total number of relevant buildings was included in this quarter’s report.

Regulator’s Commitment and Landlord Responsibilities

Will Perry, Director of Strategy at RSH, emphasised the urgency for landlords to act promptly: “Landlords must act swiftly to address fire safety defects so tenants are, and feel, safe in their homes.” He added that the regulator will continue to monitor remediation progress closely and engage with landlords through regulatory work, intervening where plans or remediation pace raise concerns.

This ongoing scrutiny reflects the critical importance of fire safety in social housing, especially in taller buildings where risks can be more severe. The RSH’s quarterly surveys provide a vital mechanism for tracking progress and holding landlords accountable.

What this means for landlords

For landlords and managing agents, the survey’s findings underline the necessity of maintaining up-to-date fire risk assessments and prioritising remediation of any identified LCFS defects. With over three-quarters of affected buildings expected to be remediated within five years, landlords should ensure their plans are realistic, well-resourced, and transparent to regulators and residents alike.

Failure to act promptly not only risks regulatory intervention but also compromises tenant safety and confidence. Landlords should also be prepared for ongoing monitoring by the RSH and maintain clear communication with tenants regarding fire safety measures and remediation timelines.

Looking Ahead

The RSH will continue to publish quarterly updates, enabling landlords and agents to track sector-wide progress and benchmark their own remediation efforts. The data also highlights the importance of comprehensive fire risk assessments and the need for robust management of external wall systems to mitigate fire risks effectively.

As the sector moves forward, collaboration between landlords, regulators, and residents will be essential to ensure that fire safety standards are met and maintained, safeguarding homes and communities.

Source: Based on reporting from the Regulator of Social Housing

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