Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 report which recommended an urgent review of the definition of higher-risk buildings, the Government has reviewed the definition and yesterday (17 December 2025), it announced that following a recommendation by the Building Safety Regulator, it has decided to leave the definition as it is for the time being but it will conduct an ongoing review of the definition.
By way of reminder a higher-risk building is defined as a building that:
- is over 18 metres or 7 storeys whichever is the lower; and
- has 2 or more residential units
Note, that in addition, hospitals and care homes that meet the height requirement but do not meet the residential unit requirement, are still higher-risk buildings during construction works (so during the initial construction of the building and during any subsequent works to the building). They are however not otherwise treated as a higher-risk building during the occupation phase of the building.
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