Fire Risk assessment needed for sale – Cladding needs sign-off?
We have a problem trying to sell our 1st floor Local Authority Flat/Maisonette, which the council deem a house. We have buyers lined up.
The Nationwide (lender) CLADDING DEPT require either EWS1 or similar, or a signed letter to state how the Freeholder “deems the property safe”.
It is a 70s brick-built, build where the tiled fascia was removed as part of a council upgrade and replaced with pebbledash. There must be tens of thousands of such properties around the country.
The Council refuse the forms as it is a 2-storey building, no shared area or escape routes, so technically don’t have to provide the forms under safety regs, however, they won’t sign to state why they “deem the building safe”, which the lender needs.
They have provided an attachment referencing fire escape, which does not reference the cladding.
I am interested in whether anyone else has come across this issue and if/ how it was resolved.
Many thanks
Annette
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Member Since October 2023 - Comments: 62
1:54 PM, 10th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Unfortunately rhis is a lender who doesnt understand what any of this means but is following a tick box exercise.
2 stories does not require EWS1 and pebble dash is non combustable and i would argue a coating (like paint) not cladding.
Other lenders are better informed so buyers could shop arround.
I suspect you may have ticked yes to the question does the building have cladding🙄
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 2
11:50 AM, 15th November 2025, About 5 months ago
The rules and government advice for requiring an EWS1 preclude this type of property.
Argue with Nationwide and tell the valuer he iwes you a duty of care and ask for his complaints handling procedure. Or ask if they will accept a privately arranged Fire Risk Assessment.
Render can be a coating over insulation and to not be a risk needs to be over 75mm thick. But still irrelevant in a two storey.
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 2
4:03 PM, 16th November 2025, About 5 months ago
Extras point – the EWS1 is only for mortgage purposes so is a lesser cost – not a service charge cost.
And presumably no common parts so no FRA undertaken since it is only required for compartmentation?