The English Private Landlord Survey is a biennial survey, with the most recent in 2021.

The Government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill to Parliament on 17 May 2023.

The department's main source of data on private landlords is the English Private Landlord Survey. The most recent 2021 English Private Landlord Survey, alongside a range of other data, is used to support policy development.

The Government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill to Parliament on 17 May 2023.

The department's main source of data on private landlords is the English Private Landlord Survey. The most recent 2021 English Private Landlord Survey, alongside a range of other data, is used to support policy development.

The landmark Building Safety Act 2022 delivers robust and far-reaching protections for leaseholders in buildings above 11 metres in height or with at least five storeys from the costs associated with historical building safety defects. A leaseholder qualifies for the protections if, on 14 February 2022, the property was their principal home, or if they owned up to three UK properties in total.

The Act protects qualifying leaseholders from all costs related to the remediation of unsafe cladding and the costs for remediation of non-cladding defects and interim measures like waking watches are subject to a firm cap. Once the leaseholder caps have been reached, landlords will be unable to demand further non-cladding costs from leaseholders. Qualifying leaseholders will be protected from costs associated with both shoddy workmanship and faulty design: the protections safeguard against costs associated with any defect that has arisen in the past 30 years because of anything done or not done, or anything used or not used in connection with works to the building that also causes a building safety risk. This includes defects associated with the provision of professional services, for example those of an architect.

The Act ensures that corporate structures cannot be used to evade liability for building safety defects. Freeholders with links to the building’s original developer, such as where the freeholder is a subsidiary of the developer, will need to meet remediation costs for their buildings in full. As the Act looks at the situation on 14 February 2022, any future buyer of the freehold will assume the same liabilities of the previous freeholder; as such, freeholders will not be able to simply sell off their buildings to evade liability. The Act also grants a power to the High Court allowing them to extend specific liabilities for one company to associated companies, removing the protection afforded to developers and contractors by special purpose vehicles.

All development, whether allowed through a permitted development right or an application for planning permission, must meet building regulations including fire and other building safety requirements. The Government has no plans at present to review the permitted development rights for building upwards.

Clarion Housing Group are the owners of Clare House and have responsibility for the safety of residents in the building. Clarion also has responsibility for providing residents with appropriate alternative accommodation in the event of an evacuation of the building. They have confirmed to the Department that they have released the information relied upon to evacuate the building. Clarion have also confirmed that they meet regularly with affected residents and have made a comprehensive offer of support which will include permanent alternative accommodation, along with interim support, for as long as it is required.

Working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, last year the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities encouraged the Construction Leadership Council to conduct an industry survey on the professional indemnity insurance constraints faced by construction professionals.

The largest professional indemnity insurance survey of its kind in construction, the survey highlighted the significant premium increases faced by many professionals across the construction sector.

The survey has been used to support evidence provided by the Construction Leadership Council to the upcoming Industry Safety Steering Group annual report, which sets out industry's progress on culture change over the last year.

It has also been used to consider industry actions that could produce a more proportionate approach to PII premium pricing and fire safety exclusions, in particular to ensure that the Government can continue to progress the remediation of unsafe cladding systems. The data has also informed our work on EWS1 professional indemnity insurance cover.