The government’s online register of high-rise residential buildings is now live.
The Building Safety Act 2022 obliges owners of existing higher-risk buildings – principal accountable persons – to register them with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
The deadline for completing the registration through the register is 30 September 2023.
Buildings considered higher-risk are those which are at least 18 metres in height or have at least seven storeys and contain at least two residential units.
Failure to register high-risk buildings will be a criminal offence, punishable with a fine or imprisonment.
What is the Building Safety Regulator?
The BSR was established by the Building Safety Bill. It sits within the Health and Safety Executive and reports to the secretary of state.
Among the BSR functions is overseeing the registration of new-build higher-risk buildings before they can be legally occupied.
The BSR is also responsible for ensuring that the estimated 12,500 existing higher-risk buildings in England are included in the register.
Who is a principal accountable person?
The Building Safety Act defines principal accountable person as the person or organisation that owns a high-rise building or has responsibility for it. This could be a landlord or freeholder responsible for repairing either part or all of the common parts of any high-rise building.
If the building has more than one accountable person, the principal accountable person is the one who is accountable for the external walls and structure of the building.
