Property Data

EWS1 Form and Cladding, What It Means for Flat Owners and Buyers

The EWS1 form was introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire to assess cladding fire safety in multi-storey buildings. This guide explains what it is and how the Building Safety Act 2022 changed the landscape.

Published: 16 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Mar 2026 · 9 min read

#PropertyData#UKPropertyData#EWS1#Cladding#FlatBuying#PropertyPassportUK

Background, The Grenfell Tower Fire and Its Consequences

The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, which killed 72 people, revealed that Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems with combustible insulation had been installed on hundreds of residential buildings across the UK. The subsequent inquiry and government response fundamentally changed the regulatory framework for building safety, particularly for multi-storey residential blocks.

The EWS1 (External Wall System) form was introduced in December 2019 by RICS, UK Finance, and the Building Societies Association as a mechanism to enable lenders to assess the fire safety of a building's external wall system before approving a mortgage. Its introduction was well-intentioned but created significant market disruption when lenders began requiring it for buildings of all heights, not just high-rise.

What is an EWS1 Form?

An EWS1 form is a document completed by a qualified fire safety professional (typically a fire engineer or suitably qualified chartered professional) following an assessment of a building's external wall construction.

The form has two sections:

**Section A**, Cladding materials are unlikely to support combustion (i.e. the external wall system does not contain materials of limited combustibility concern).

**Section B**, Combustible materials are present in the external wall system. This section records the assessor's opinion on the overall fire risk.

EWS1 outcome	Meaning	Lender position
A1	No combustible materials, no further action needed	Typically acceptable to lend
A2	Combustible materials present but no action needed	Often acceptable to lend
A3	Combustible materials, remediation needed	Most lenders will not lend
B1	Combustible materials, sufficient mitigating measures	Often acceptable to lend
B2	Combustible materials, insufficient mitigating measures	Most lenders will not lend

The Building Safety Act 2022

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced the most significant reform to building safety legislation since the 1984 Building Act. Its key provisions in relation to cladding include:

**The Building Safety Levy**, developers contributing to a fund for remediation of legacy cladding defects
**Developer Remediation Contracts**, major developers have signed legally binding contracts to fix unsafe buildings they built or refurbished
**Leaseholder Protections**, qualifying leaseholders (those who own their flat as their main or only home, or who own no more than three UK properties) are protected from paying for cladding remediation costs in buildings above 11 metres in height
**Responsible Person and Accountable Person regimes**, new statutory duties on building owners and managers of higher-risk buildings (above 18 metres or 7 storeys)

The Act effectively created a two-tier system: buildings where the developer is responsible for remediation, and buildings where the freeholder or building owner must fund remediation (typically covered by the Building Safety Fund for eligible buildings).

RICS Updated Guidance on EWS1 (2023)

RICS updated its EWS1 guidance in 2023 to clarify that an EWS1 assessment is not required for every building, only those where the external wall system warrants assessment. Specifically:

Buildings below 11 metres in height are unlikely to require an EWS1 form
Buildings without cladding (brick, stone, or render on masonry construction) generally do not require an EWS1 form
The qualified assessor, not the lender or managing agent, determines whether an assessment is necessary

Practical Implications for Flat Buyers in 2026

Before making an offer on a flat in a multi-storey building:

1. **Ask whether an EWS1 assessment has been completed**, request a copy of the form and check its outcome category

2. **Identify the responsible party for any required remediation**, has the developer signed a Developer Remediation Contract? Is the building registered with the Building Safety Fund?

3. **Confirm leaseholder protection status**, check whether the leaseholder protections under the Building Safety Act 2022 apply

4. **Check your proposed lender's policy**, lender requirements vary; some accept B1 outcomes while others do not

Property Passport UK allows flat owners to upload and store EWS1 forms, fire risk assessments, and remediation progress documents, making this critical safety information accessible to buyers and conveyancers throughout the transaction.