Claims window for building-safety issues extended

摘要

People living in homes with substandard or unsafe construction will have up to 15 years to claim compensation under new laws. The extension of the current six-year window for claims is one of the measures introduced in the Building Safety Bill, published in July. The longer claims period will also apply retrospectively. For example, residents of a building completed in 2010 will have until 2025 to make a claim, the government said. Remediation of fire safety has seen builders and contractors including Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon and Willmott Dixon put aside tens of millions of pounds since 2017 to deal with the costs. The new laws have been introduced in response to the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people in 2017. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said the bill would give residents more power to hold developers and builders to account. But legal experts have said the changes do not fully address the issues faced by leaseholders when it comes to making a legal claim. Cavendish Legal Group litigation partner Jonathan Frankel said: "This feels like the government is kicking the can down the road, which will actually prolong the pain for leaseholders. There is no benefit to extending the limitation period without helping leaseholders fund potential legal actions."