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Written question asked by Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 13 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. It was answered by Samantha Dixon (Labour) on Monday, 23 March 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Sheltered Housing: Fire Prevention

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to managing agents and freeholders of retirement housing developments on the fire alarm upgrades in buildings under 11 metres; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that leaseholders are not required to fund unnecessary fire safety upgrades through service charges.

Answer

The Responsible Person for any residential building (regardless of height) is the person or entity responsible for keeping residents safe from the risk of fire. Decisions on how to keep residents safe and what actions are required should be made based on advice from a Competent Person following a Fire Risk Assessment. MHCLG has no direct role in deciding whether interim measures such as a common fire alarm should be implemented. Sector-led Simultaneous Evacuation Guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council supports Responsible Persons to meet their existing duties and guides them towards a consistent, standardised approach to a change in evacuation strategy and implementation of interim measures where this is necessary.

By law, variable service charges must be reasonable, and leaseholders have the right to challenge unreasonable charges at the appropriate tribunal. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures to increase transparency over service charges and remove barriers for leaseholders to challenge costs, helping them better understand what they are being asked to pay for. The Building Safety Act’s leaseholder protections also place caps on how much can be charged for remediation of historical life-critical fire safety defects in most 11-metre-plus buildings.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
120744
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Leasehold Fire prevention Sheltered housing Service charges
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk