Ensuring buildings meet updated regulations is a national issue facing all building owners whether public or private. We are working with fire engineers, developers and contractors to ensure our buildings meet the new regulations.
We do not ask residents to pay any of the costs of fire remediation work to the external wall of their blocks, or to balconies where they have been deemed to pose a risk of spreading a fire. This follows the publication of the Building Safety Act, which we know had initially been a matter of concern for many residents.
EWS1 process explained
In 2019, many mortgage providers began to make requests for evidence, certification and information about the safety of external wall systems to high rise residential buildings.
Valuers began to consider blocks without evidence of compliance with the most recent guidance as being of zero value. This meant that many leaseholders were unable to sell or re-mortgage their properties.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors responded to this by introducing the External Wall System 1 (EWS1) form. Obtaining the form confirms the external wall system has been assessed as safe by a qualified professional and provides assurance to lenders, valuers, residents, buyers and sellers.
The majority of lenders now request an EWS1 form to provide mortgages for buildings over 18 metres, but requests for buildings under this threshold are increasing. The government issued advice in November 2020 that EWS1 forms would not be required for buildings without cladding, but, in our experience, lenders still prefer to see an EWS1 form for the building.
While the EWS1 form can be important for those buying and selling a home, especially in taller buildings, the process is not how we determine the safety of a building. We have a thorough system of checks, investigations and safeguards carried out by surveyors and building safety experts, both who work for Notting Hill Genesis and for external consultants. It is this work that ensures the safety of our residents and buildings, and identifies where work is required to the external wall.
In 2022, we endorsed the guidance for landlords on leaseholder requests for EWS1 forms, which outlines best practice for the process itself, how to communicate with residents and how to respond when EWS1 forms cannot be secured. You can read about this best practice on the dedicated webpage.
What to do if your EWS1 form is rejected
In January 2025 we were alerted to issues around lenders rejecting EWS1 forms completed by Fire Safety Consultants, Tri Fire, due to the actions of their company director, Adam Kiziak.
On 21 January 2025, The Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) extended the suspension of Adam Kiziak while they investigate further undisclosed allegations.
We have carried out our own investigations into the peer review process offered by Tri-Fire and are concerned it is not as robust as necessary. As a result of this, we will no longer use Tri Fire.
This means we will be commissioning new EWS1 forms, using a different fire engineering consultant from our supply chain, and seeking to use a number of companies on our framework. We will continue to look at how we can best scrutinise any new forms that are provided to ensure they can be relied upon.
Fire engineers are under excessive demand and waiting times are already long, at around eight to 10 weeks, and could get longer.
We will work with our suppliers to react to requests that come from sale and remortgaging enquiries, while also working through a proactive programme to replace all Tri Fire EWS1 forms we hold.
If you have any questions please contact your local officer.
Looking for an EWS1 form?
You can get a copy of an EWS1 form for your building by speaking to your local officer.