Registration of high-rise buildings opens
The Building Safety Regulator has opened the registration process for high-rise residential buildings in England.
It is a legal requirement under the Building Safety Act 2022 for all high-rise residential buildings 18 metres tall or higher, or at least seven storeys tall, with two or more residential units to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 1 October 2023.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is an independent body established by the Building Safety Act 2022, and is part of the HSE. BSR will raise building safety and performance standards and oversee a new stringent regime for high-rise residential buildings, as well as overseeing the wider system for regulating safety and performance of all buildings and increasing the competence of relevant regulators and industry professionals.
The Building Safety Act gained Royal Assent on the 28 April 2022 and makes ground-breaking reforms to give residents and homeowners more rights, powers and protections. The Act overhauls existing regulations, creating lasting change and makes clear how residential buildings should be constructed, maintained, and made safe. Full implementation of the Act is due in October 2023, which means each building owner should have their building safety regime in place by this time.
The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) for each building, or someone authorised by them, is required to complete the registration process.
Each building must have one clearly identifiable accountable person, known as the principal accountable person. This can be an individual or an organisation, like a commonhold association, local authority or social housing provider.
If there is just one accountable person for a building, then they will be the principal accountable person. When there are multiple accountable persons, then whoever owns or has a legal obligation to repair the structure and exterior of the building is the principal accountable person. Accountable persons and the principal accountable person can be accountable for the fire and structural safety risks of more than one building.
Find out more about accountable persons here. The registration service is now open and the fee to register each building is £251.
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