The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 led to serious concerns about the fire risks of cladding. As a result, lenders were refusing to offer mortgages on flats in buildings with cladding and their owners were unable to remortgage or sell them.
The cladding that had been fitted to the building in a refurbishment was found to be the main reason the fire spread so quickly due to its combustible core. Tragically, 72 people died in the disaster.
To address the issues caused by cladding, the EWS1 form was introduced to give proof that buildings have been assessed for safety.
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What is an EWS1 form?
An EWS1 form, short for External Wall Fire Review form, is a document used in the UK primarily for residential buildings that are over six stories tall (18 meters or more).
The form covers any cladding, insulation and firebreak systems on the building's external walls.
Also known as an EWS1 certificate, the form was launched by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and mortgage lenders in December 2019 to give lenders, buyers, residents and others confidence that a building with cladding is safe.
What is a fire risk assessment?
An EWS1 form is not the same as a fire risk assessment, which is a legal requirement for all buildings. Following the Fire Safety Act 2021, this must now also cover the external wall system.
A qualified person such as a fire engineer carries out a fire risk assessment then signs the form to confirm this has been done. It’s valid for the whole building for five years (except in Scotland, where separate forms may be required for each flat).
The assessment must be done according to government guidance. On the form, the assessor must either confirm that there are no combustible materials in the external wall or the level of fire risk if there are. If there is a risk, the assessor must conclude whether it’s low or whether it’s high enough that remedial work needs to be carried out to make the building safe.
What buildings does an EWS1 form cover?
The form is designed to be used for all types of residential buildings, such as:
Blocks of flats that are owned privately or by housing associations
Social housing
Student accommodation
Care homes
Assisting living properties
Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)
When do I need an EWS1 form?
You may need an EWS1 form to sell, remortgage or buy a flat with cladding as a lender may not grant a mortgage without one. The EWS1 process ensures that a valuation of the property can be done for mortgage purposes. This is because cladding can affect the safety of a building and the cost of any work needed to make it safe can affect the property’s value.
Whether a building needs an EWS1 form for a mortgage depends on the requirements of the lender involved and the judgement of the valuer. If the lender hasn’t given specific instructions to the valuer, guidance from RICS says the form is generally needed for buildings that are:
Over six storeys (18 metres) if they have cladding or balconies made from combustible materials, such as wood, stacked vertically above each other
Five or six storeys if one quarter or more of the building has cladding or high-risk types of panels have been used, such as the aluminium composite material (ACM) panels used on Grenfell Tower. The form is also needed if there are vertically stacked balconies made from combustible materials
Four storeys or fewer if high-risk panels have been used
It may not be clear whether a building has cladding or other panels that need to be assessed for safety as it could still look like it’s made from traditional materials. Always check if you’re unsure whether a building might need one.
Who pays to fix unsafe cladding?
Following the Grenfell Tower disaster, in 2018 new fire safety regulations were introduced saying that new buildings taller than 11 metres (five storeys) must have non-combustible cladding. As a result, there should be no issue with new builds.
In January 2022 the government announced a plan to protect leaseholders of flats in existing buildings that are 11 metres or over with unsafe cladding from having to pay for the cost of fixing it.
These protections were put into law in the Building Safety Act 2022. It ensures building owners can’t charge qualifying leaseholders (those living in their own homes with fewer than three UK properties) for work to fix any historical building safety issues, not just cladding.
The government says there’s no evidence that the structure of a building causes safety issues if it’s below 11 metres. This means these buildings are unlikely to need costly work to make them safe.
The following year, developers were made to sign a contract committing them to fix all unsafe buildings of this height that they had developed or refurbished since 1992. At the end of January 2024, 55 developers had signed it.
Where there isn’t a developer responsible for fixing unsafe cladding, the Cladding Safety Scheme – opened in July 2023 – provides government funding in England. It applies to buildings over 11 metres outside London and 11-18 metres in London.
The Building Safety Fund covers buildings in London over 18 metres. It also covered buildings outside London over 18 metres if the application for funding was made before July 2023.
Which mortgage lenders will lend on buildings with safety concerns?
The three remediation schemes and guidance issued by RICS on valuing properties with cladding have reduced the risk of lending on flats impacted by safety issues.
As a result, in December 2022 six of the biggest lenders said they would consider applications for mortgages on affected properties in buildings over 11 metres in England. Four more lenders have subsequently joined them.
The 10 lenders, which cover the vast majority of the mortgage market, are:
Barclays Bank
Hodge Bank
HSBC
Lloyds Banking Group
Nationwide Building Society
NatWest
Santander
Skipton Building Society
TSB
Virgin Money
The lender will need to see evidence that the building will be fixed by the developer or under one of the government schemes, or that it’s covered under the Building Safety Act. If you meet the lender’s other application criteria, you’ll be able to get a mortgage on the property with the same interest rate and terms as any other borrower.
If you own a flat in a building with safety issues, you can check whether you’re covered by any of these or have to pay towards fixing them using the government’s online tool. This is also important for someone buying your flat to know as the same will apply to them when they become the new owner.
Following this, some lenders no longer require an EWS1 form for buildings over 11 metres to consider a mortgage application. These include Lloyds Banking Group and Santander. They may still require one for buildings below 11 metres or outside England.
Every lender is different so you’ll need to check the situation for any lender you’re considering getting a mortgage or remortgage from. A mortgage broker can help you do this.
How to get an EWS1 form
The owner of the building – the freeholder or landlord – is responsible for arranging the EWS1 form. If your building has one, you can ask the building owner for it. If you’re selling your flat, you’ll need to pass it on to the buyer for mortgage purposes.
If there isn’t an EWS1 form for your building, you should ask the owner or managing agent to arrange an EWS1 assessment. You can’t do this yourself if you’re a flat owner or buyer.
How much does an EWS1 form cost?
The cost of an EWS1 assessment depends on the size and nature of the building but it can cost tens of thousands of pounds. The building owner is responsible for commissioning it but as a leaseholder you could be asked to contribute towards the cost as part of your service charge.
More EWS1 form FAQs
How can I check if a building has an EWS1 form?
You can check if your building has an EWS1 form by asking the building owner. Anyone with an interest in a particular building should be able to check whether there’s an EWS1 form by visiting the Building Safety Information Portal. However, figures show that the majority of forms have not been uploaded to it.
Which lenders don’t require an EWS1 form?
Lloyds Banking Group and Santander have said they don’t require an EWS1 form for buildings over 11 metres but in practice they’re not required for most mortgage valuations for flats. The most recent UK data provided to the government by six mortgage lenders shows that an EWS1 form or equivalent was only needed:
For 46% of valuations for flats in buildings with seven storeys or more
For 23% of valuations for flats in buildings with five or six storeys
For 2% of valuations for flats in buildings with fewer than five storeys
For 9% of valuations for flats overall
How long is an EWS1 form valid for?
An EWS1 form is valid for five years unless there have been significant changes to the external wall system or attachments to the building since the assessment was carried out. This includes as a result of remedial work.