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EWS newsThis is really significant news for anyone currently caught up in the cladding scandal. @RICS the body that created the EWS form has put forward new guidance for buildings that should no longer require the form. My initial thoughts
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/new-proposals-put-forward-to-significantly-reduce-number-of-buildings-requiring-ews-checks-69131
The new guidance has set out which buildings should no longer require EWS checks. Here are the buildings @RICSnews believes should not require EWS anymore
Important to point out that this is not instantaneous. @RICSnews is currently carrying out a consultation on draft guidance (see below) to close on 25 Jan and is expecting the guidance to be officially in place by Spring 2021 https://www.rics.org/uk/surveying-profession/contribute/consultations/valuation-of-properties-in-multi-storey-multi-occupancy-residential-buildings-with-cladding-1st-edition-guidance-note/
If this gets buy-in from lenders, will have a big impact on the number of buildings requiring EWS. Particularly those under 18m. If the 25% limit on cladding coverage is adhered to that could be positive. Spoken to leaseholders with just a strip of cladding waiting for an EWS.
Those leaseholders with the shortest buildings and smallest coverage of cladding are often those that will have to wait the longest for EWS checks too. Most landlords work on a risk-based basis. Meaning small and low-risk buildings could wait years. https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/leaseholders-could-be-trapped-in-homes-for-years-as-housing-associations-struggle-to-cope-with-scale-of-ews-crisis-67331
The section on balconies seems to be quite significant. Most blocks will have timber clad balconies. However, the language does seem quite loose, would be interesting see a true definition of what ‘not stacked vertically above each other' means.
Seemingly if you are a building of four storeys or under, you will not require an EWS....unless you have ACM or another metal composite cladding. I have come across a number of buildings of 10m,9m and 8m waiting for EWS checks. This will be helpful for them.
It is definitely a positive step forward but there are some important things to state with this…..
This guidance is completely redundant unless it gets buy in from mortgage providers. The mortgage industry is a high volume/low risk sector and they will be wary of potential for future remediation costs falling on borrowers. This is not going to inspire confidence.
There are still thousands of buildings (probably more) that will still require an EWS form. There are an estimated 10,000 buildings in England over 18m and 100,000 of 11m. Many of them will still have to go through the process.
And more worryingly, the majority of these buildings will require remediation. Meaning many more years living in unsellable flats and potentially huge remediation bills of tens of thousands of pounds. https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/ews-crisis-nine-in-10-ews-checked-blocks-require-remediation-work-67821
