Information checked: 19 October 2026. Illustrative photograph only; the building pictured is not identified as having unsafe cladding.
When you are trying to move home or arrange a new mortgage, uncertainty about your building’s cladding can make an already complicated process feel overwhelming. The question is personal: can you move forward, what information is missing, and who can help establish the next step?
The government introduced the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc.) Bill to Parliament on 14 October 2026. It proposes stronger measures to identify and fix unsafe cladding and hold responsible parties accountable. As at 19 October, it is proposed legislation—not a new set of rules already fully in force. See the government’s introduction and the parliamentary Bill record.
For mortgage borrowers, there is another essential distinction: stronger remediation powers do not automatically make an individual flat acceptable to a lender.
What is the government proposing?
The proposals include clearer assessment and remediation duties for qualifying residential buildings, a register for residential buildings between 11 and 18 metres in England, and greater consistency in external-wall fire-risk assessments. A last-resort mechanism would also allow public authorities to take control of remediation where those responsible fail to act. The government’s guide to the Bill explains the proposed measures.
The Bill would strengthen enforcement, including provision for financial penalties of up to £500,000 for failure to comply with a Remediation Order. These are proposed enforcement measures, not penalties that automatically apply to every affected building or leaseholder today. The proposed penalties are described in the government’s announcement.
The intention is to give residents a clearer route towards getting their buildings fixed. However, the final legislation, commencement arrangements and any necessary regulations still matter.
Why has the response been cautious?
Building’s reporting highlights doubts about whether the proposals will resolve the wider crisis. That caution is worth understanding alongside the government’s announcement.
In its own response, The Property Institute welcomes the Bill but raises concerns about developer accountability and the treatment of historic internal fire-safety defects, such as problems with fire doors and compartmentation. It argues that focusing on external cladding does not, by itself, resolve every serious building-safety issue.
For buyers and owners, the practical takeaway is straightforward: ask what has been established about your particular building, rather than relying on a headline about the wider reforms.
Can you obtain a mortgage before cladding works are finished?
In some circumstances, lenders can consider this already. It would be misleading to suggest that every flat requiring remediation is automatically unmortgageable until all work is complete.
UK Finance’s industry statement explains that participating lenders can consider certain affected properties in England where there is appropriate evidence of developer-funded remediation, a recognised government scheme or applicable leaseholder protections. Lending remains subject to each firm’s policies, regulatory requirements and assessment of the transaction.
That means two buildings with apparently similar cladding issues may not have the same mortgage options. The documentation, funding arrangements, valuation and individual lender’s requirements need to be considered—not just the fact that remediation has been discussed.
A developer’s commitment to undertake work can be relevant evidence. It is not proof that the work has been completed, nor a guarantee that a particular mortgage application will succeed.
Does every flat need an EWS1 form?
No. RICS explains that an EWS1 form is used for valuation and lending purposes, and that not every building requires one. It is not a certificate confirming the overall fire safety of a building and does not replace the appropriate professional fire-risk assessment.
A Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls, often called a FRAEW, serves a different assessment purpose. Lenders may consider different forms of evidence, depending on their policy and the building’s circumstances. Avoid assuming that every lender needs exactly the same document. See government guidance on FRAEWs and the UK Finance statement above.
There is a separate development to watch: RICS has published updated secured-lending valuation guidance, effective from 1 November 2026, intended to support a more consistent and proportionate approach. That guidance is distinct from the proposed Bill and should not be described as a consequence of it already becoming law.
What should you check before buying or remortgaging?
Start by asking the building owner, managing agent and your solicitor what information is available. Depending on the property and lender, useful evidence may include the relevant external-wall assessment, an EWS1 where required, and documentation supporting the remediation arrangements or applicable leaseholder protections. These are not interchangeable documents, and the required combination is case-specific.
For an initial mortgage discussion, have four things ready:
- The property details: its address, your intended use and the purchase price or approximate value.
- The building information: the assessments and correspondence you already hold, including any information about proposed or completed works.
- Your borrowing position: the mortgage balance, deposit or equity, and what you want the new borrowing to achieve.
- Your timetable: a proposed purchase deadline or the date your current mortgage deal ends.
Ask your solicitor to explain any outstanding liabilities and the protections relevant to your particular lease. Do not assume that a general announcement about funding settles every cost question.
What happens when your current mortgage deal is ending?
A move to a different lender is not the only question to explore. Ask about the options available with your existing lender as well.
The Mortgage Charter supports eligible residential borrowers who are up to date with payments in switching to another deal with their existing lender without a fresh affordability assessment, subject to the stated conditions. This does not mean every borrower or transaction qualifies, and those commitments do not apply to buy-to-let mortgages.
Do not assume you must wait for the Bill to become law before asking about your mortgage options. Equally, do not assume a product switch resolves the building’s underlying safety issues.
Are the arrangements the same throughout the UK?
No. The main new assessment and remediation duties described in the government’s guide concern qualifying buildings in England, although some other provisions have wider territorial scope.
Wales has its own building-safety remediation programme, while Scotland operates a separate cladding-remediation framework involving Single Building Assessments. A building’s location therefore matters when checking the legal position, funding route and supporting documents.
Talk through your mortgage position with TLA Finance
You do not need to arrive with every answer before starting a conversation. Tell our team whether you are buying, selling or remortgaging, what you know about the building and when you need to act.
TLA Finance works with clients across England, Scotland and Wales by telephone, email and online. We can consider your borrowing requirements and the information relevant lenders may need, while your solicitor and appropriately qualified building professionals address the legal and safety assessments.
Speak to the TLA Finance team about your property and mortgage plans. We will explain the options available through our service and any applicable fees. An enquiry does not guarantee mortgage acceptance or establish that a building is safe.
For related mortgage information, see our remortgage and capital-raising guidance and first-time-buyer mortgage guidance.
This article provides general information, not personalised mortgage, legal, tax or fire-safety advice. Legislation, lender criteria and professional guidance can change. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Prepared with AI assistance using the sources identified above and reviewed through TLA Finance’s editorial approval process before publication. Information checked on 19 October 2026.
Further coverage: Housing Digital: Cladding Bill gives regulators tougher powers. The legislative and mortgage information in this article is supported by the government, parliamentary, RICS and UK Finance sources linked above.
Illustrative photograph: Tobias Wilden / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash Licence. The photograph is not evidence of a defect or safety concern at the building pictured.
