Building Safety Act: what block managers need to know

Key takeaways

• The Building Safety Act introduces stricter safety requirements and greater accountability for residential buildings.
• Higher-risk buildings face additional regulatory obligations and oversight.
• Accurate building information must be maintained through the Golden Thread.
• Block managers play an important role in compliance management, resident engagement and record keeping.
• Strong documentation and audit trails are essential for demonstrating compliance.
• Technology can help simplify building safety management and support ongoing regulatory requirements.

The Building Safety Act 2022 changed how residential buildings are regulated in the UK. Introduced following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the legislation established a new framework for building safety, accountability and oversight.

For block managers, the impact is practical. Maintaining records, supporting compliance activities and keeping residents informed are now under greater scrutiny than before. Many legal responsibilities sit with building owners and Accountable Persons, but block managers are often responsible for the day-to-day activities that support compliance.

A fire safety inspection, a maintenance record or evidence of completed remedial works may all form part of the information needed to demonstrate that a building is being managed safely. Keeping that information accurate and accessible is becoming a core part of modern block management.

Building Safety Act at a glance

Here’s a quick overview of the main Building Safety Act requirements and their impact on block management:

What is the Building Safety Act?

The Building Safety Act was introduced to improve the safety of residential buildings and strengthen accountability across the property sector.

The legislation created a new regulatory framework focused on managing building safety risks throughout a building’s lifecycle. This includes the design and construction stages as well as the ongoing management of occupied buildings.

A central aim of the Act is ensuring that those responsible for residential buildings can demonstrate how safety risks are identified, managed and monitored.

Which buildings are affected by the Building Safety Act?

The most significant requirements apply to Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).

In most cases, a higher-risk building is defined as a residential building that:

• Is at least 18 metres high or seven storeys tall
• Contains at least two residential units

These buildings are subject to additional registration, reporting and safety management requirements overseen by the Building Safety Regulator.

Many block managers oversee a mix of property types. Even where buildings do not meet the higher-risk threshold, the principles behind the legislation are shaping expectations across the wider residential sector.

Who is the Accountable Person?

The Accountable Person is the individual or organisation responsible for managing building safety risks in an occupied higher-risk building.

This may include:

• Freeholders
• Building owners
• Management companies
• Resident management companies

Some buildings have more than one Accountable Person where responsibility for different areas is shared.

Although block managers are not usually the Accountable Person, they are often responsible for maintaining records, coordinating inspections and supporting compliance activities on behalf of those who hold legal responsibility.

What is the Golden Thread?

The Golden Thread is a requirement to maintain accurate, accessible and up-to-date building information throughout a building’s lifecycle.

The intention is straightforward. People responsible for building safety should be able to access reliable information when they need it.

In practice, this means maintaining a digital record of information relating to the building, its construction and its ongoing management.

Information within the Golden Thread may include:

• Building plans and specifications
• Fire safety documentation
• Inspection reports
• Compliance certificates
• Maintenance records
• Safety case information
• Resident communications

If a fire risk assessment is updated, a contractor completes remedial works or a compliance certificate is renewed, that information should be easy to locate and supported by a clear audit trail.

What are the key responsibilities for block managers?

Legal accountability may sit elsewhere, but block managers are often responsible for coordinating the activities that support compliance.

Block manager responsibilities under the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act places greater emphasis on accountability, record keeping and ongoing risk management. While block managers may not hold ultimate legal responsibility, they are often involved in many of the activities that help buildings remain compliant and residents informed.

Maintaining building information

Accurate records sit at the heart of compliance. Building information needs to be current, accessible and properly organised.

Many block managers are responsible for maintaining documents across multiple properties, contractors and compliance activities. Without a structured approach, information can quickly become difficult to locate when it is needed.

Supporting safety case management

Higher-risk buildings must have a safety case that demonstrates how building safety risks are being managed.

Supporting documentation may come from inspections, maintenance programmes, fire risk assessments and remedial works. Block managers are often involved in coordinating these activities and ensuring evidence is properly recorded.

Managing resident engagement

Residents need access to information about building safety and a clear process for raising concerns.

For block managers, this often means communicating updates on inspections, planned works, fire safety measures and compliance activities. Maintaining a record of those communications is equally important.

Coordinating compliance activities

Compliance is rarely a single task. Inspections need to be scheduled, actions tracked and supporting documentation retained.

The challenge becomes greater as portfolios grow. Having visibility across these activities helps reduce the risk of missed deadlines or incomplete records.

What are the consequences of non-compliance?

The Building Safety Act gives regulators stronger powers to investigate and enforce compliance requirements.

Failure to comply may result in:

• Regulatory investigations
• Enforcement notices
• Financial penalties
• Criminal sanctions in certain circumstances
• Increased liability exposure
• Reputational damage

For organisations managing residential portfolios, demonstrating compliance depends heavily on the quality and accessibility of building information.

How can technology help block managers comply with the Building Safety Act?

Managing building safety information across multiple properties can be difficult when records are spread across spreadsheets, shared drives, emails and paper files.

Technology helps bring that information together.

A centralised system can be used to track inspections, manage compliance deadlines, monitor maintenance programmes and maintain the records needed to support Golden Thread requirements.

This becomes particularly valuable when responding to resident queries, preparing for audits or providing evidence to regulators. Instead of searching across multiple systems, teams can access information from a single source.

Preparing for the future of building safety

The Building Safety Act has introduced new expectations for organisations involved in residential property management.

For block managers, much of the focus falls on maintaining accurate records, supporting compliance activities and ensuring building information can be accessed when required. The organisations that already have clear processes and reliable systems in place are likely to find adapting to future regulatory changes much easier.

How MRI Software can help

Meeting Building Safety Act requirements often comes down to one challenge: keeping information organised and accessible.

Building plans, inspection reports, compliance certificates, contractor records and resident communications all need to be available when required. As portfolios grow, managing that information across spreadsheets, shared drives and paper files becomes increasingly difficult.

MRI Software helps block managers bring those records together in one place. Teams can track compliance activities, manage inspections, monitor maintenance programmes and maintain the documentation needed to support Golden Thread requirements.

Having a single source of information makes it easier to respond to resident queries, prepare for audits and demonstrate compliance when regulators request evidence.

MRI’s block management solutions support the day-to-day work involved in building safety management, helping teams maintain accurate records and keep pace with changing regulatory requirements.