Government introduces cladding remediation Bill with fines of up to £500,000 for owners who fail to fix unsafe buildings

A new building safety Bill introduced on 14 October places a legal duty on freeholders and other responsible parties to identify, assess and fix safety defects without delay, backed by tribunal penalties of up to £500,000 for failing to comply with a Remediation Order. It also lets bodies such as Homes England or councils step in where owners repeatedly fail to act, and requires residents to be given a remediation plan with timescales. For sellers of flats in affected blocks, a firmer route to completion dates should, over time, ease the uncertainty that has made these homes hard to mortgage and sell; for buyers, a published plan gives something concrete to put to lenders and surveyors. It is a Bill rather than law, and the government's target remains that every building over 11 metres with unsafe cladding is fixed or has a clear completion date by the end of 2029.