The EWS1 form is sent by mortgage companies to flat owners and is then distributed to everyone else involved afterwards. The document is designed to assist various people that are involved in a residential development that stands over 18m tall.
Usually, the most common receivers of an EWS1 certificate are:
It is HS RoofClad’s aim and responsibility to ensure complete transparency throughout the process so Building Owners, Managing Agents and Leaseholders have the correct information.
For a Leaseholder to be able to sell their flat or property, their building may now require an EWS1 certificate. While it is not a legal necessity, it is a commercial one, as mortgage providers are now requiring assurances about the fire hazards posed by combustible external wall materials. Essentially, this means the Leaseholder’s flat or apartment could be valued at £0 unless the building has a certificate.
Most Leaseholders require an EWS1, mainly because of one of three reasons:
If you are the landlord or Managing Agent of a residential property that stands over 18m tall, you will be glad to know that you are eligible to directly apply for your building to enter the waiting list for an EWS1 survey. You will officially become a client and the main point of contact for HS RoofClad and any other parties that might be involved in the process. Once the process has been completed, and the building is signed off by our Fire Consultant, you will receive the EWS1 certificate for the building you arranged to be surveyed.
HS RoofClad have a wealth of experience helping Managing Agents through the process, and we can begin to assist you with a free consultation with one of our façade experts.
In recent weeks, it has been agreed between RICS, UK Finance and the Building Societies Association (BSA) that owners of flats or apartments in buildings without any Cladding will not need an EWS1 certificate for Leaseholders to successfully sell or remortgage their property. There has also been further encouraging news from the government that they are funding to train 2,000 more building assessors as there are currently less than 300 consultants that are qualified to conduct the survey. This will mean that up to 200 new assessors will have the qualifications to conduct the EWS1 assessment within a month, as well as a further 900 within 3 months, and 2,000 within 6 months. In turn, this will speed up the EWS1 sign-off process.
Are you a Leaseholder trying to sell or remortgage your property? Or maybe you are a Building Owner, Property Manager or Developer? If so, contact us now for a free EWS1 consultation from one of our experts.
