Couple living in a flat with dangerous cladding may have to declare bankruptcy due to repair costs

A couple living in a flat with dangerous cladding say their life is ‘on hold’ and they may have to declare bankruptcy due to the £25,000 cost of having it removed. Abi Tubis, 29, of Leeds, is among the thousands of people across the UK who are trapped living in unsafe flats with flammable cladding.  … Read more

Banks refuse to mortgage flats over cladding fears

Homeowners stuck in flats they cannot sell due to a red-tape nightmare are now so desperate they are flogging their properties at enormous discounts. Lenders have been refusing to offer mortgages on tens of thousands of homes after new safety rules were introduced in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. But homeowners say they … Read more

What if I can’t pay the bill to remove cladding on my block of flats?

I live in a leasehold flat with dangerous cladding and face a repair bill of £40,000 to get it removed and replaced with safe materials. I’m unable to pay this on top of my mortgage. What happens if I miss my mortgage repayments for several months in a row – will my lender repossess the … Read more

Government must foot £15billion bill to fix unsafe cladding, says TV property expert Phil Spencer 

TV property expert Phil Spencer says the Government needs to pay the bill to renovate up to 1.5million homes with unsafe cladding TV property expert Phil Spencer says the Government needs to pay the bill to renovate up to 1.5million homes with unsafe cladding. He said the situation ‘cannot resolve itself’ and that houseowners – … Read more

Low number of Help-to-Buy homes affected by cladding revealed

The number of unsafe homes bought with Help to Buy loans has been ‘grossly underestimated’, according to campaigners. Official figures claim that than less than 300 homes covered in unsafe cladding – mainly flats in blocks – were bought using a Help to Buy loan.  People who bought homes covered with non-fire retardant cladding are … Read more

Grenfell contractor used sales patter to get cheaper cladding

Chief contractor on refurbishment of Grenfell Tower used ‘Essex boy patter’ to try and persuade others involved in the project to use cheaper cladding, inquiry hears Rydon contracts manager Simon Lawrence wanted cheaper cladding used  The contractor had altered financial figures to keep the cost savings themselves The Grenfell Inquiry heard they building’s owners wanted … Read more

New laws for those living in unsafe high-rise buildings with dangerous cladding 

Residents living in unsafe high-rise buildings have slammed new measures aimed at protecting them from soaring repair bills. They claim rules outlined in the draft Building Safety Bill, revealed this week, do nothing to protect them from having to pick up the enormous costs required to make their homes safe. Some of the properties were … Read more

Homeowners unable to move due to dangerous cladding

The recent cut in stamp duty could help boost the property market amid the coronavirus pandemic – but there are a slice of homeowners who are unable to take advantage due to unsafe cladding. They have been unable to sell their homes due to the flammable materials used on their buildings. They are effectively ‘prisoners’ … Read more

Grenfell Tower fire safety consultant ignored cladding email

Grenfell Tower fire safety consultant ignored email about cladding because he was only copied in and not the ‘primary recipient’, inquiry told Terry Ashton ignored documents outlining proposed cladding and insulation  The fire safety consultant also failed to read the architect’s progress report  It comes as the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire began once … Read more