Lender Height Restrictions and What They Mean
Following Grenfell, major mortgage lenders introduced policies restricting lending on high-rise buildings, though the definition of high-rise varies between lenders. Some lenders set a threshold at six storeys or 18 metres — the height at which more stringent fire safety regulations apply under English building regulations. Others apply restrictions at different heights, and a small number have no explicit height restriction but require an EWS1 assessment for all buildings with any cladding present.
The practical impact depends significantly on your building. A flat on the third floor of a twelve-storey building is treated the same as a flat on the twelfth floor by most lenders, because the restriction applies to the building height rather than the floor your flat is on. This is frustrating for residents of lower floors in tall buildings who feel — with some justification — that their personal fire risk is lower, but it reflects lender policy based on building-level rather than flat-level risk assessment.
Buildings of fewer than six storeys have generally been treated more favourably, though this is not universal. Where a building is below six storeys but has cladding of a type that raises fire safety concerns, some lenders will still require an EWS1 or equivalent assessment before lending. The EWS1 form covers buildings of any height where external wall cladding or attachments are present, meaning even low-rise blocks with certain cladding types can require assessment.
It is important to check your specific lender's current policy before applying, as policies have changed multiple times since 2017 and continue to evolve. What was true eighteen months ago may not reflect the current position. A whole-of-market broker who actively places high-rise flat mortgages will have current knowledge of which lenders are willing to lend and under what conditions.
EWS1 Certificates: What They Are and How to Get One
The EWS1 form (External Wall System 1) is a certificate produced by a qualified professional — typically a chartered fire engineer or RICS-accredited assessor — following an assessment of a building's external wall construction. It was introduced in 2019 by UK Finance, the RICS, and the Building Societies Association as a standardised way for mortgage lenders to receive assurance about building fire safety. The form produces one of two outcomes: A (no combustible materials or low risk) or B (combustible materials present), with sub-categories indicating whether remediation is required.
An EWS1 with an A1 or A2 rating indicates that the external walls do not contain combustible materials or that any combustible elements are at low risk and do not require remediation. Most mainstream lenders will accept an A-rated EWS1 and proceed with a mortgage. A B1 rating indicates combustible materials are present but that no remediation action is currently recommended — some lenders will lend on B1, others will not. A B2 rating indicates that remediation is required, and most lenders will not offer mortgages on B2-rated buildings until remediation has been completed or a funded remediation plan is in place.
Obtaining an EWS1 assessment is the responsibility of the building owner — typically the freeholder or their managing agent — not the individual leaseholder. However, freeholders have been slow to commission assessments in many cases, leaving leaseholders unable to sell or remortgage despite having done nothing wrong. The government has taken steps to accelerate the EWS1 process, and Building Safety Fund remediations are removing buildings from the EWS1 queue as work is completed.
If your building does not yet have an EWS1 certificate and your freeholder is not acting with urgency, you have options. You can apply pressure through your residents' association or directly, escalate to the First-tier Tribunal if necessary, or — in some cases — approach specialist lenders who have developed ways of lending on buildings where an EWS1 process is actively underway. A broker with high-rise expertise can advise on the options available to you in your specific building situation.
