Leaseholder and resident information on the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS)
This information explains what the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) is, how to apply, and the additional help in place to support leaseholders and residents affected by unsafe external wall systems.
Applies to England
What is the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS)?
The Cladding Safety Scheme will provide funding for the remediation of unsafe cladding in England where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible.
Under the Developers Pledge, many developers have committed to remediate life critical fire safety works in buildings over 11 metres that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing over the last 30 years in England. See the list of developers here.
Developers making this commitment have also agreed to reimburse any funding received from government remediation programmes in relation to buildings they had a role in developing or refurbishing.
What happened to the Medium Rise Scheme (MRS)?
The MRS was launched in November 2022 and in June 2023 it was re-branded to the Cladding Safety Scheme and the pilot expanded to include 18m+ buildings. The scheme is delivered by the government’s delivery agency Homes England.
Who can apply for funding?
Applications for funding from the CSS must be made by the building’s Responsible Entity or their representative. The Responsible Entity is the person or organisation with legal responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the building.
This can be the building’s:
- freeholder
- head leaseholder
- right-to-manage company (RTM)
- resident management company (RMC) or
- registered provider of social housing such as a local authority or housing association
Will this scheme protect me from all building safety costs?
You can check the guidance on remediation costs.
What is a qualifying leaseholder?
You can check the guidance on leaseholder protections.
What will happen to buildings under 11m?
It is generally accepted that risk to life is proportional to the height of buildings and therefore the risk to life is usually much lower in buildings under 11m in height. This means they are very unlikely to need costly remediation work to make them safe.
In rare cases where remediation work is required, we have extended legal rights to redress for poor workmanship through the Building Safety Act 2022; enhancing the ability of building owners and leaseholders to seek compensation for defective work carried out on their properties.
As a leaseholder, how will I know which scheme my building is eligible for?
You can check out leaseholder eligibility checker to see what support is available.
As a leaseholder, what can I do next?
If you are a leaseholder or resident in a property that you think could be eligible, contact your Responsible Entity and encourage them to make an application.
In addition, you can complete the Tell Us Tool to provide information about your building. This will help us understand more about the types of buildings that could be eligible for funding and help us take further action, if necessary.
How can I contact someone from DLUHC?
You can direct any queries or concerns through to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) via the following channel:
Email: correspondence@levellingup.gov.uk
Independent information and support
If you are a leaseholder or resident concerned about unsafe cladding in your building, you can get free initial specialist advice about your rights from the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).
More information about LEASE, including how to contact them, is on the LEASE website, along with the latest frequently asked questions.
Last updated 8 April 2024 + show all updates
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Leaseholder and resident information on the CSS updated to integrate applications for the building safety fund into the CSS portal.
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First published.