A new guide to help solicitors involved in flat sales and purchases understand the Building Safety Act 2022 has been published by the Law Society. It includes information on who pays to remediate tall buildings affected by fire safety issues. 

The act is part of the building safety legislation produced in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster. It introduces a new building safety regime for certain residential buildings - including covering who pays for remedial work. 

The government has said it is committed to protecting leaseholders from the burden of remediation costs. It has introduced developer and government-funded schemes that have significantly reduced the costs for leaseholders.

When the act was first introduced, some firms decided not to take on matters involving affected properties because of the responsibility it appeared to place on them resulting from the novelty, complexity and lack of clarity in the legislation.

Law Society president Nick Emmerson said the guide followed initial concerns about the legislation and had been developed with government and industry stakeholders. 'Our guide will help solicitors make sense of the improvements to the legislation that have been made since it was first introduced. It will also provide solicitors with necessary information to make informed decisions about taking on residential leasehold conveyancing matters where the BSA 2022 applies.'

The guide is available here.

 

This article is now closed for comment.