Social Housing Regulator says only 72% of affected blocks due to be fixed by end of decade

More than a quarter of social housing towers deemed defective by fire safety standards are not expected to be remediated within the next five years, according to the Regulator of Social Housing.

In its latest survey of the fire safety of 11m and above buildings, the RSH found that only 1,338 (72%) of the 1,867 buildings identified as having a life-critical fire safety (LCFS) defect relating to the external wall system are forecast by landlords to be remediated by 2030.

These figures were reported in the Q2 2025/26 survey, which ran for four weeks to 21 October.

Cladding remediation shutterstock_1650999718

Source: Shutterstock

The RSH’s latest audit found that only 72% of social housing tower blocks will have fire safety defects fixed by the end of the decade

When asked for estimated remediation timescales, landlords reported that works for 77% of affected buildings are due to be completed in the next 10 years, including 8% which are earmarked for completion in the next six months.

More than 99.9% of the 16,990 relevant buildings in England have had a fire risk assessment carried out, with 84% deemed to have no outstanding or historic external wall system related LCFS defects.

Will Perry, director of strategy at the regulator, said: “We will continue to scrutinise the sector through inspection, engagement and monitoring to make sure it identifies risks and carries out any necessary remediation work promptly.”