The Regulator of Social Housing has published its latest quarterly fire safety remediation findings for social housing buildings in England. The figures show strong progress on assessments, but they also reveal a stubborn gap between identifying serious defects and completing the work needed to make residents safer.
For landlords, boards and councillors, the message is simple: knowing where the risks are is not enough. Clear plans, reliable records and faster action now matter more than ever.
What the Latest Fire Safety Data Shows
The survey covers 17,081 residential buildings measuring at least 11 metres or five storeys. Around 70% are between 11 and 18 metres tall.
More than 99.9% of reported buildings have now had a Fire Risk Assessment. This is encouraging, as it means landlords have a far clearer picture of the risks across their homes.
However, 1,977 buildings were identified as having a life-critical fire safety defect linked to the external wall system. Of these, 1,503, or 76%, are expected to be remediated within five years.
Since June 2017, 2,801 buildings have been identified with these defects. So far, 995 have been remediated or are awaiting a new building works assessment.
Read the full RSH fire safety remediation update.
Why Fire Safety Work Is Still Delayed
The figures show that assessments are largely complete, yet remediation remains slower than residents deserve. The RSH has highlighted several common causes:
- Complex legal and ownership arrangements.
- Decisions pending from the Building Safety Regulator.
- Delays in specialist materials and supply chains.
- Incomplete or unclear remediation plans.
These issues may be difficult, but they do not remove a landlord’s duty to manage risk. Where permanent work cannot start at once, suitable interim fire safety measures must be in place and regularly reviewed.
Strong Fire Safety Governance Matters
The RSH will use this data as part of its regulatory work. Landlords with weak plans, poor records or unusually slow progress may face closer scrutiny.
Boards and councillors should therefore understand each building’s risk, funding position, timetable and barriers to delivery. They also need accurate information from asset, compliance, development and resident safety teams.
Good document control is vital. A missing approval, outdated assessment or unclear audit trail can delay work and weaken confidence. It can also make it harder to show residents and regulators that risks are being managed properly.
Landlords can also review the Building Safety Regulator guidance for wider building safety duties.
Fire Safety Careers Supporting Safer Homes
This growing workload creates demand for skilled people across fire safety, compliance, remediation and document control.
Peabody is recruiting a full-time Document Control Manager in London, with a salary of £60,000. The role will help manage technical records, support compliance and improve access to reliable building information.
View the Document Control Manager vacancy at Peabody on BuildingSafetyJobs.com.
