The Building Safety Act 2022: A Complete Guide for Building Managers

#What is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act 2022 is the most significant reform to building safety regulation in a generation. It received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022 and created a comprehensive framework for managing the safety of higher-risk residential buildings throughout their entire lifecycle -- from design and construction through occupation and refurbishment.

The Act was Parliament's legislative response to the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017, in which 72 people died. Dame Judith Hackitt's Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (2018) identified systemic failures in how buildings were designed, constructed, and managed. Her review found that critical building safety information was routinely lost, fragmented across different organisations, or simply never recorded. The Building Safety Act addresses those failures with a new regulatory structure, clear accountability, and enforceable requirements.

For building managers, the Act's practical impact is concentrated in Part 4, which deals with higher-risk buildings that are already occupied. This is where the day-to-day obligations fall -- maintaining records, assessing risks, reporting incidents, and engaging with residents. The rest of this guide focuses on Part 4 and its associated secondary legislation.

Check if your building qualifies as higher-risk

#The legal framework: how the Act is structured

The Building Safety Act 2022 is a large piece of legislation -- 170 sections across 5 Parts, plus 11 Schedules. Understanding its structure helps you navigate which obligations apply to you.

#Parts of the Act

Part 4 is where building managers spend most of their time. It defines who is responsible (accountable persons), what they must do (risk assessment, Golden Thread, Safety Case, occurrence reporting, resident engagement), and what happens if they fail (enforcement notices, criminal offences).

#Key secondary legislation

The Act itself sets the framework. The operational detail is in secondary legislation (Statutory Instruments) made under the Act:

• Higher-Risk Buildings (Keeping and Provision of Information) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/41) -- prescribes the Golden Thread information requirements
• Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/909) -- BAC application procedures, safety case procedures
• Key Building Information Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/963) -- information required at registration
• Building Safety (Leaseholder Protections) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/711) -- leaseholder cost protections
• Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/110) -- higher-risk building definition criteria

#Commencement timeline

The Act did not come into force all at once. Key commencement dates:

#Who does the Building Safety Act apply to?

#The higher-risk building definition

The Building Safety Act's Part 4 regime applies to higher-risk buildings (HRBs) in England. A building is a higher-risk building if it meets all of the following criteria, as defined in section 65 and the Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023:

Buildings excluded from the Part 4 regime even if they meet the height and residential criteria:

• Care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission
• Hospitals
• Secure residential institutions (prisons, immigration detention)
• Hotels (temporary accommodation)
• Military barracks

For a detailed breakdown of height measurement, exclusions, and borderline scenarios, see our guide to higher-risk building criteria under the Building Safety Act.

#Scope: what is and is not covered

The Part 4 regime focuses on the common parts of the building -- the structure, exterior, and shared areas. Individual flats are within scope only to the extent that they affect building safety (for example, a resident interfering with fire doors or compartmentation). Residents have their own duties under sections 95-97 to cooperate, not interfere with safety measures, and comply with information requests.

#Key roles and responsibilities

The Building Safety Act creates specific legal roles. Getting these right is the foundation of compliance -- and getting them wrong creates serious liability exposure.

#Building Safety Regulator (BSR)

The Building Safety Regulator is the body that oversees the new regime. Established under Part 1 of the Act, the BSR's functions include:

• Maintaining the register of higher-risk buildings
• Processing Building Assessment Certificate applications
• Receiving and acting on mandatory occurrence reports
• Issuing compliance and contravention notices
• Prosecuting criminal offences under the Act
• Publishing guidance for accountable persons

As of 27 January 2026, the BSR operates as a standalone body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Previously, it sat within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This separation gives the BSR its own governance, budget, and enforcement priorities. For the latest on what this transition means for building managers, see our Building Safety Act 2026 update.

#Principal Accountable Person (PAP)

The Principal Accountable Person is defined in section 73 of the Act. The PAP is the accountable person who holds the legal estate in possession in the structure and exterior of the building.

In practice, the PAP is typically:

• The freeholder of the building
• A commonhold association (where the building is commonhold)

The PAP has overall responsibility for building safety. Their duties include:

• Registering the building with the BSR (section 78)
• Applying for a Building Assessment Certificate (section 79)
• Assessing building safety risks (section 83)
• Taking all reasonable steps to prevent the occurrence of a major incident (section 84)
• Preparing a Safety Case Report (section 85)
• Maintaining the Golden Thread of building information (section 88)
• Establishing a mandatory occurrence reporting system (section 87)
• Preparing a residents' engagement strategy (section 91)

Legal liability as PAP cannot be delegated. The PAP can appoint managing agents, consultants, and specialists to carry out tasks -- but the legal duty stays with the PAP. If something goes wrong, the BSR looks to the PAP.

For a detailed breakdown of PAP obligations, see our Principal Accountable Person responsibilities guide. To understand how the PAP role relates to the Accountable Person role and where the boundaries of each fall, see our comparison of Accountable Person vs Principal Accountable Person.

#Accountable Person (AP)

An Accountable Person is defined in section 72 of the Act. An AP is anyone who:

1. Holds a legal estate in possession in any part of the common parts of the building, or
2. Is under a relevant repairing obligation in respect of any part of the common parts

There can be multiple APs in a single building. For example, a building might have a freeholder (PAP, responsible for structure and exterior) and a management company with a repairing obligation for internal common areas (AP for lobbies, corridors, stairwells). Each AP must take reasonable steps to manage building safety risks in the parts they are responsible for and must cooperate with the PAP. For a practical overview of what the AP role involves, see our Accountable Person duties explainer.

#Building Safety Manager -- not a statutory role

#Residents

Residents are not passive participants in the new regime. Under sections 95-97 of the Act, residents must:

• Cooperate with the accountable person in meeting building safety duties
• Not interfere with building safety measures (fire doors, smoke detectors, ventilation systems, compartmentation)
• Comply with requests for information relevant to building safety
• Not create risks that affect the safety of other people in the building

#Core requirements: what building managers must do

#Registration

All higher-risk buildings in occupation in England were required to be registered with the BSR by 1 October 2023. Registration requires submitting Key Building Information (KBI) as defined in the Key Building Information Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/963), including details about the building's structure, height, external wall materials, fire safety systems, and occupancy.

If your building is not yet registered, treat this as an urgent priority. Operating an unregistered higher-risk building is a criminal offence under section 78(3).

#Building Assessment Certificates (BAC)

A Building Assessment Certificate confirms that the BSR is satisfied the PAP is complying with their duties. The BSR is calling buildings in for BAC applications in priority order:

When the BSR calls your building in, the PAP has 28 days to submit the BAC application (per the Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures Regulations 2023). The application must include the Safety Case Report, evidence of the Golden Thread, the residents' engagement strategy, and details of any mandatory occurrence reports.

For a detailed preparation checklist and guidance on what to expect when your building is called in, see our Building Assessment Certificate guide. For a step-by-step walkthrough of the assessment itself -- what the BSR reviews, what evidence to prepare, and how to navigate the process -- see our guide to preparing for a BSR assessment.

#The Golden Thread

The Golden Thread is one of the most significant -- and operationally demanding -- requirements of the Act. Under section 88 and the Higher-Risk Buildings (Keeping and Provision of Information) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/41), the PAP must maintain a complete, digital, up-to-date record of building safety information.

The Golden Thread must include:

• Structural and architectural information -- original design, as-built records, material specifications
• Fire safety information -- fire risk assessments, fire strategy, compartmentation details, suppression system records
• Building services information -- mechanical, electrical, lift systems, ventilation
• Maintenance records -- inspection reports, remedial works, contractor evidence
• Safety Case Report -- the formal risk assessment and management document
• Residents' engagement strategy -- how you communicate with and consult residents
• Mandatory occurrence reports -- records of safety incidents reported to the BSR
• Records of building work -- any refurbishment, alteration, or material change

The Golden Thread must be kept digitally (paper-only records do not satisfy the requirement), must be accessible to authorised persons, must reflect the current state of the building, and must be version-controlled so changes are tracked with history.

Maintaining a digital Golden Thread touches every aspect of building management. It requires structured, version-controlled storage with audit trails -- which is why purpose-built platforms like Brocade exist: to serve as the Golden Thread with built-in compliance tracking, document management, and information sharing.

#Safety Case Report

Under sections 83-85 of the Act, the PAP must:

1. Assess building safety risks (section 83) -- identify what could go wrong and who could be harmed
2. Manage those risks by taking all reasonable steps to prevent a major incident (section 84)
3. Prepare a Safety Case Report documenting the assessment and management approach (section 85)

The Safety Case Report must be prepared as soon as reasonably practicable and kept up to date as risks change, building work is carried out, or new information becomes available. It is reviewed by the BSR during the Building Assessment Certificate application process.

A Safety Case Report should include:

• A description of the building (structure, systems, materials, occupancy)
• All identified building safety risks (structural, fire, other)
• The safety measures in place to manage each risk
• How those measures are monitored and maintained
• How the Safety Case connects to the fire risk assessment
• Who is responsible for each area of risk management
• An assessment of whether additional measures are needed

For an overview of the safety case concept -- what it means and why it matters -- see our building safety case explainer. For step-by-step guidance on preparing your Safety Case Report, see our Safety Case Report guide.

#Mandatory Occurrence Reporting

Section 87 of the Act requires accountable persons to report certain safety occurrences to the BSR. These are events that pose a risk of significant harm to people in or around the building, including:

• Structural failures or concerns about structural integrity
• Spread of fire beyond the room of origin
• Failure of fire safety systems (suppression, detection, compartmentation, smoke ventilation)
• Any event that creates a significant risk to life safety

The reporting process has two stages:

Staff and contractors need to know what constitutes a reportable occurrence. Many incidents that feel like "just maintenance issues" -- a fire door that fails to close, a dry riser found to be non-functional, a missing compartmentation seal -- may need to be reported if they create a risk of significant harm.

For a practical guide to setting up your reporting system and understanding what to report, see our mandatory occurrence reporting guide.

See the full BSA compliance checklist

#Residents' engagement strategy

Under section 91 of the Act, the PAP must prepare and give effect to a residents' engagement strategy. This must describe how you will:

• Inform residents about building safety matters that affect them
• Consult residents on decisions affecting building safety
• Promote participation in building safety measures
• Operate a complaints system for building safety concerns

The strategy must be in writing and made available to all residents. It should cover how residents can report safety concerns, request building safety information, participate in consultations, and escalate complaints if they are not resolved.

This is not a tick-box exercise. The BSR assesses whether the engagement strategy is genuine and effective, not just whether a document exists. Buildings where residents are actively informed and consulted demonstrate stronger compliance than those with a strategy document that sits in a drawer.

For practical guidance on building an effective engagement strategy, including what the BSR looks for during assessment, see our resident engagement strategy guide.

#Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)

While PEEPs are technically enforced under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 rather than the Building Safety Act directly, they are a practical obligation for all higher-risk building managers. Since 6 April 2026, building managers must identify every resident who needs assistance evacuating and create an individualised evacuation plan for each person.

For detailed guidance, see our PEEPs implementation guide.

#Financial obligations

The Building Safety Act creates several financial dimensions that building managers need to understand.

#Building safety charges

Under section 90 of the Act, costs incurred by the accountable person in performing their Part 4 duties can be recovered through service charges from leaseholders, subject to the normal rules on service charge reasonableness and consultation.

This means the costs of maintaining the Golden Thread, preparing the Safety Case Report, conducting risk assessments, and meeting other compliance obligations are legitimate service charge expenditure. However, these costs must be reasonable, and leaseholders retain the right to challenge unreasonable charges through the First-tier Tribunal.

#Section 20 consultation requirements

Major building safety works -- such as replacing external cladding, upgrading fire safety systems, or carrying out significant remedial works identified in the Safety Case -- may trigger Section 20 consultation requirements under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. If the cost to any individual leaseholder exceeds £250 for works or £100 annually for a long-term agreement, the formal consultation procedure applies.

For a detailed walkthrough of how Section 20 interacts with BSA safety works, including the three-stage process, dispensation applications, and practical approaches to managing the tension between safety urgency and consultation timelines, see our guide to Section 20 consultation and the Building Safety Act.

Failing to follow the Section 20 consultation process caps the amount you can recover from leaseholders, regardless of the actual cost. For building safety works that are genuinely urgent (immediate risk to life), there are provisions to dispense with consultation, but this requires a Tribunal application.

#Leaseholder protections

Part 5 of the Act includes significant protections for leaseholders regarding the costs of historical building safety defects -- particularly cladding remediation. These protections limit what leaseholders can be charged for remediation of defects that existed when the Act came into force, with the extent of protection depending on factors including the building's height, the responsible developer, and the leaseholder's property value.

The interaction between building safety costs, leaseholder protections, and service charge compliance is one of the most complex areas of building management. Getting it wrong exposes the accountable person to both regulatory and legal risk.

#Enforcement and penalties

The Building Safety Act gives the BSR significant enforcement powers. Understanding these is important not to create alarm, but because the regime has real consequences and building managers need to take compliance seriously.

#Compliance notices

Under section 99, the BSR can issue a compliance notice requiring the PAP or AP to take specific steps within a set timeframe. This might include:

• Providing information or documents to the BSR
• Taking specific remedial actions
• Carrying out risk assessments or reviews
• Updating the Golden Thread or Safety Case Report

Failure to comply with a compliance notice without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence under section 99(6).

#Contravention notices

Under section 100, the BSR can issue a contravention notice identifying a specific contravention of Part 4 duties and requiring the person to remedy it within a specified period. Failure to comply is an offence.

#Criminal offences

Section 101 creates the Act's most serious enforcement mechanism: a criminal offence for contraventions that give rise to a risk of death or serious injury. Penalties include:

• On summary conviction: imprisonment for up to 12 months, an unlimited fine, or both
• On conviction on indictment: imprisonment for up to 2 years, an unlimited fine, or both

This applies to the person or organisation that is the accountable person. Where the accountable person is a body corporate, officers of the company can also be prosecuted if the offence was committed with their consent or connivance, or was attributable to their neglect (section 103).

#The due diligence defence

Section 102 provides a due diligence defence. It is a defence to show that the person:

• Took all reasonable precautions, and
• Exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence

This is important. The Act does not impose absolute liability. A PAP who can demonstrate systematic, documented, and genuine compliance efforts -- even if something goes wrong -- has a defence. This is where maintaining a comprehensive Golden Thread with audit trails and evidence of proactive risk management becomes critical.

#Other enforcement bodies

The BSR is not the only enforcement body relevant to building safety:

#Practical steps: what to do now

If you are managing a higher-risk building, here is a practical compliance roadmap. Some of these steps should already be complete; others are ongoing obligations.

#Phase 1: Foundation (should be complete)

1. Confirm HRB status. Verify your building meets all three criteria (height, residential units, England). If in doubt, get a professional height measurement.
2. Identify the PAP and all APs. Document who holds the legal estate in the structure/exterior and who has repairing obligations for common parts. Get this in writing.
3. Register with the BSR. The deadline was 1 October 2023. If you missed it, register immediately -- operating an unregistered HRB is a criminal offence.
4. Submit Key Building Information. Ensure your KBI is accurate and up to date with the BSR.

#Phase 2: Core compliance (should be in progress)

5. Establish your Golden Thread. Set up a digital system for storing all building safety information. Paper-only records do not satisfy the legal requirement. The system must be accessible, version-controlled, and secure.
6. Prepare your Safety Case Report. Assess all building safety risks, document the measures in place, and compile the Safety Case Report. This is a living document -- plan for regular reviews.
7. Set up mandatory occurrence reporting. Create internal processes so that safety incidents are captured and reported to the BSR within 10 working days. Train your team.
8. Create your residents' engagement strategy. Write a strategy, make it available to residents, and implement it. Set up a complaints system with response targets.

#Phase 3: Ongoing compliance

9. Monitor BSR communications. Watch for your BAC call-in notice. When it arrives, you have 28 days to submit a complete application.
10. Keep everything current. The Golden Thread, Safety Case, and engagement strategy are not one-off documents. Review them when circumstances change -- after building work, incidents, new risk information, or regulatory updates.
11. Implement PEEPs. Since April 2026, identify residents who need evacuation assistance and prepare individual plans.
12. Review contractor competence. Ensure contractors working on safety-relevant systems are competent, and capture completion records and evidence in the Golden Thread.

#Common mistakes

These are the patterns we see most frequently from building managers who are trying to comply but getting tripped up.

#Mistake 1: Treating the Act as optional or distant

The Part 4 regime is in force now. Registration was required by October 2023. The Golden Thread, Safety Case, and occurrence reporting obligations are active. Building managers who assume enforcement is years away are exposed to criminal liability today.

#Mistake 2: Assuming the managing agent handles everything

The PAP -- typically the freeholder -- carries the legal duty. A managing agent can carry out tasks on behalf of the PAP, but the legal responsibility does not transfer. If the managing agent fails to maintain the Golden Thread or report an occurrence, it is the PAP who faces enforcement action.

#Mistake 3: Paper-only record keeping

The Act explicitly requires the Golden Thread to be maintained in digital format. A filing cabinet of paper records does not meet the legal requirement, regardless of how well-organised it is. The records must be digitally stored, accessible, version-controlled, and secure.

#Mistake 4: Confusing KBI with the Golden Thread

Key Building Information is what you submit to the BSR at registration. The Golden Thread is the comprehensive, ongoing record of all building safety information. KBI is a small subset of the Golden Thread. Submitting KBI does not mean your Golden Thread obligations are met.

#Mistake 5: No resident engagement

A residents' engagement strategy that exists only on paper is not compliance. The BSR expects to see evidence of genuine engagement -- communications sent, complaints handled, consultations conducted. A document that sits in a drawer does not satisfy section 91.

#Mistake 6: Inadequate occurrence reporting

Not recognising reportable occurrences is a common gap. A fire door that fails to close, a dry riser found non-functional during testing, or a missing compartmentation seal may all be reportable if they create a risk of significant harm. Train staff and contractors to identify and escalate potential MOR events.

#Mistake 7: Ignoring the cooperation duty

Where there are multiple accountable persons, each must cooperate with the PAP. Buildings with complex ownership structures -- separate freeholders, management companies with repairing obligations, RTM companies -- need formal cooperation agreements that set out responsibilities, information sharing, and escalation procedures.

#Hypothetical scenario: Ashworth Tower

Ashworth Tower is a fictional 14-storey residential building in Birmingham with 52 flats. The freeholder is a registered company, making it the PAP. A managing agent handles day-to-day management under a management agreement.

Registration: The building was registered with the BSR in September 2023. KBI was submitted including details of the external wall system (render-on-blockwork, no ACM cladding) and fire safety systems (Type 1 fire alarm, dry riser, emergency lighting, AOV smoke ventilation).

Golden Thread: The managing agent maintains building safety records using a digital compliance platform. All fire risk assessment actions, contractor evidence, maintenance records, and safety case documentation are stored with version control and audit trails. The PAP has read-only access to monitor compliance.

Safety Case Report: The PAP commissioned a building safety consultant to prepare the initial Safety Case Report. Key risks identified: ageing fire doors on floors 6-14 (replacement programme in progress), dry riser requiring pump replacement (works scheduled for Q2 2026), and balcony drainage system affecting structural elements (monitoring programme established). Each risk has documented mitigation measures and review dates.

Occurrence report: During a routine inspection, the dry riser was found to have failed a pressure test. The managing agent submitted an occurrence notice to the BSR within 8 working days, well inside the 10-day requirement. The full occurrence report documented the failure, root cause (pump degradation), interim risk mitigation (portable equipment stationed on upper floors), and the planned permanent fix.

Residents' engagement: The managing agent sends quarterly building safety updates to all residents via email and post. An annual residents' meeting covers building safety alongside general management matters. A dedicated email address handles safety complaints with a 5-working-day response target. The engagement strategy document is available on the building's resident portal.

BAC readiness: At 14 storeys with 52 units, Ashworth Tower has not yet been called in for a BAC. The PAP is monitoring BSR communications and preparing materials in advance, expecting a call-in within the next 12-18 months.

This scenario illustrates what proportionate compliance looks like for a mid-size higher-risk building. The obligations are real, but manageable with structured processes and digital record-keeping.

#Related resources

#Brocade guides

• Building Safety Act Compliance Checklist -- a step-by-step checklist of your BSA obligations (actionable steps vs this guide's comprehensive explanation)
• Golden Thread of Building Information: Complete Guide -- detailed guide to setting up and maintaining your Golden Thread
• Principal Accountable Person Responsibilities -- detailed breakdown of PAP duties and liability
• Safety Case Report: How to Prepare -- step-by-step Safety Case preparation guide
• PEEPs Implementation Guide -- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans guidance

#Brocade platform

• Building Safety Compliance Software -- how Brocade helps manage BSA compliance
• Building Safety Case Software -- Safety Case management tools
• Service Charge Compliance -- service charge and financial compliance

#Blog posts

• Building Safety Act 2026: Key Changes -- recent developments including BSR independence and the Building Safety Levy

• Fire Risk Assessment Tracking Guide -- managing FRA actions to completion

• Accountable Person Duties Explained -- understanding your role under the BSA

• What Is a Building Safety Case? -- the safety case concept and why it matters

• Fire Door Inspection Requirements: What to Document and How to Evidence Compliance -- documenting your fire door inspection programme

• Building Safety Act Penalties and Non-Compliance: What You Risk and How to Stay Compliant -- understanding enforcement and the due diligence defence

• Section 20 Consultation and the Building Safety Act -- how BSA safety costs interact with leaseholder consultation requirements

• Resident Engagement Strategy for Higher-Risk Buildings -- meeting your resident engagement duties under section 91

• Accountable Person vs Principal Accountable Person: Roles Compared -- understanding who holds which duties

• Higher-Risk Buildings: Definition, Criteria, and How to Check -- the full breakdown of which buildings are in scope

• Building Safety Levy: What Building Managers Need to Know -- the new levy on higher-risk building developments

• BSR Assessment Process: How to Prepare -- what to expect when the BSR assesses your building

#Further reading and official sources

#Primary legislation

• Building Safety Act 2022 -- Full Act -- complete legislation
• Building Safety Act 2022 -- Part 4 -- higher-risk buildings in occupation
• Fire Safety Act 2021 -- amendments to the Fire Safety Order

#Secondary legislation

• Higher-Risk Buildings (Keeping and Provision of Information) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/41) -- Golden Thread information requirements
• Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/909) -- BAC and safety case procedures
• Key Building Information Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/963) -- registration information requirements
• Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/110) -- HRB definition criteria
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/547) -- PEEPs and fire safety requirements

#GOV.UK guidance

• The Building Safety Act -- Overview and Resources -- BSR guidance hub
• Criteria for being a higher-risk building -- HRB definition guidance
• Keeping information about a higher-risk building: the Golden Thread -- Golden Thread guidance
• Submitting mandatory occurrence notices and reports -- MOR process

#Independent reviews

• Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (Hackitt Review) -- the 2018 review that led to the Building Safety Act

#Frequently asked questions

#What is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act 2022 is UK primary legislation that created a new regulatory regime for higher-risk residential buildings in England. It established the Building Safety Regulator, introduced mandatory safety cases and the Golden Thread of building information, and created criminal offences for non-compliance that risks death or serious injury. It received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022.

#Which buildings does the Building Safety Act apply to?

The Building Safety Act's Part 4 regime applies to higher-risk buildings in England that are at least 18 metres tall or at least 7 storeys, contain at least 2 residential units, and are not exclusively used as care homes, hospitals, or secure institutions. The height is measured from ground level to the floor surface of the top storey.

#Who is responsible for compliance under the Building Safety Act?

The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) carries overall legal responsibility for building safety. This is the person or organisation that holds the legal estate in the building's structure and exterior -- typically the freeholder. Other accountable persons may include anyone with a repairing obligation for common parts. Legal liability cannot be delegated to managing agents.

#What are the penalties for non-compliance with the Building Safety Act?

Non-compliance that gives rise to a risk of death or serious injury is a criminal offence under section 101, punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. The Building Safety Regulator can also issue compliance notices under section 99, and failure to comply with a compliance notice without reasonable excuse is a further criminal offence.

#What is the Golden Thread under the Building Safety Act?

The Golden Thread is a complete, digital, up-to-date record of building safety information that must be maintained throughout a higher-risk building's lifecycle. It is required under section 88 of the Building Safety Act and the Higher-Risk Buildings (Keeping and Provision of Information) Regulations 2024. It must include structural information, fire safety records, maintenance logs, and the Safety Case Report.

#What is a Safety Case Report and who must prepare one?

A Safety Case Report is a formal document summarising the assessment of building safety risks and the steps taken to manage them, required under section 85 of the Building Safety Act. The Principal Accountable Person must prepare it as soon as reasonably practicable. It is reviewed by the Building Safety Regulator as part of the Building Assessment Certificate application.

#When was the Building Safety Act registration deadline?

All higher-risk buildings in occupation in England were required to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 1 October 2023. If a building has not yet been registered, the PAP should treat this as an urgent priority and register immediately, as operating an unregistered higher-risk building is a criminal offence.

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