Asking your landlord what steps are being taken to deal with unsafe cladding

A letter you can copy

What to do:

  • Copy and paste the text below into an email or document.
  • Replace any text [in brackets] with your own information.
  • Delete any information in {curly brackets} that is not relevant.
  • Send the email to your landlord, or print out the document and send it by post.
  • If you are sending by post, keep a copy for yourself and a record of the date that the message was sent.

Where to use this letter

You can use this anywhere in the UK (remove the parts that apply to laws for other countries).

It is worth noting that in Scotland, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 mean it is illegal for buildings to have ACM cladding. The Scottish Government has published a factsheet: ACM cladding in Scotland: questions and answers. This confirms that all 32 Scottish local authorities have reported that no local authority or social high rise domestic properties in Scotland have been extensively clad in ACM.

You can still use this letter to raise any concerns about cladding in general, though.

[Your address]
[Today’s date]

[Name of your contact or landlord]
[Your landlord’s address]

[Your rent/tenant ID number]
{REF: any reference number you were given when previously raising this subject}

Dear [your landlord’s name],

I am a tenant of [name of your block or building] and I am contacting you because [I have become aware that/as you have informed me] the cladding of my building puts myself and other residents at serious risk of fire.

{Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) was a significant factor in the spread of the Grenfell Tower fire, which as you will recall led to 72 deaths and many more injuries in 2017.}
{High Pressure Laminate (HPL) enabled the spread of fire at Lakanal House in 2009, causing the death of six tenants and injuries to at least 20.}

This being the case, I am sure you will understand my concerns {and those of my fellow tenants}.

I am writing to ask:

  • What assessment has been made of the fire risk in my block?
  • What measures have been taken (or are planned) to remove the risk of fire posed by this cladding?

As you will be aware, {the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005/the Scottish Housing Quality Standard} states that landlords must do everything in their power to keep tenants safe from fire.

I look forward to receiving your response as a matter of urgency, but by [date, two weeks in the future] at the latest.

Yours sincerely,

[Sign your name]
[Print your name]

If you don’t get an answer within two weeks