Episode 30: Building safety funding and challenging times in Wales

In this episode of Listen Up Landlords, presenter Richard Blanco (@richardblanco_)  is flying solo to examine the thorny issue of funding for building safety works.  In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy new fire safety requirements have left tens of thousands of tower blocks across the country requiring vital remedial works, with the argument over who should fund these works still raging.   The Building Safety Act was intended to provide financial remedy for blocks of 11m or higher (so called ‘high-risk’ buildings).  In some cases, the developer is responsible for rectifying defects and in other cases leaseholders must contribute, up to a certain amount.   However no financial help is available for an estimated 1.3 million leaseholders with flats in low rise blocks, and so-called Non-Qualifying Leaseholders in taller blocks, many of whom are landlords.  The implications are far-reaching for landlords who own more than three properties in the UK, who don't qualify for protections. The NRLA conducted a survey recently to gather data to bolster its campaign for a building safety remediation scheme that would fund all necessary remedial work, irrespective of ownership.   We are joined by Alison Hills, Senior Associate at Tees Law and Maggie Brodie, co-leader of the Unqualified Leaseholders Campaign Group to examine the issues and potential solutions.  Danny McKeown-Henshall of the Landlord Advice Team joins us for our regular update on the hot topics on the phonelines, before we look to Wales to examine the impact of the new Renting Homes (Wales) Act.  New Ministry of Justice figures reveal that since the announcement of the new Act at the start of last year, possession claims in Wales have increased four-fold.    We speak to the NRLA Operations Manager in Wales, Steve Bletsoe to find out more about what’s going on and, in the wake of the release of new NRLA paper State of the Welsh Private Rented Sector, what the NRLA wants to see happen to boost the supply of homes to rent.  More information   If you enjoy the podcast, please spread the word on your social media channels using the hashtag #listenuplandlords.   For all podcast enquiries email [email protected]    ACCREDITATION: You can now pick up a CPD point to be used towards NRLA accreditation by listening to the podcast. To log your point, visit the accreditation dashboard in the ‘Your Account’ section of the NRLA website. Select ‘Other’ then ‘NRLA Podcast’ from the dropdown menu.   To download a transcript of the podcast click here.