Am I a Qualifying Leaseholder? Building Safety Act Quiz

Question 1 of 2

Is your building at least 11 metres tall, or does it have at least 5 storeys?

This is roughly a 5-storey block. If you're not sure, count the floors from ground level including any floor partly below ground that's still habitable.

Question 2 of 2

Were you the owner of the flat on 14 February 2022?

This is the date the relevant protections were announced — it's the snapshot date the whole test is built around.

One more thing

Do you know the previous owner's situation on 14 February 2022?

Qualifying status transfers from whoever owned the flat on that date — so if they'd have qualified, you likely inherit that protection.

Likely a Qualifying Leaseholder

You're likely protected

Based on your answers, your building meets the height test and your ownership situation on 14 February 2022 (or the previous owner's) fits the criteria. As a qualifying leaseholder:

You should pay nothing for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding itself — this is an absolute protection, not a capped one.
Your contribution to other historical building safety defects (fire doors, missing fire breaks, etc.) is capped at £15,000 in Greater London or £10,000 elsewhere — a lifetime cap covering all such works combined.
Before paying anything, your landlord must give you a formal landlord's certificate confirming your qualifying status and showing how any costs were calculated against the cap.

See the full rules, a worked example, and what to check before paying a service charge demand in our complete Building Safety Act guide.

Likely Not a Qualifying Leaseholder

The core protections probably don't apply to you

Based on your answers, you don't appear to meet the qualifying leaseholder test — most often because more than 3 UK residential properties were owned at the relevant date, or the previous owner's situation wouldn't have qualified. This doesn't necessarily mean you have no options:

Landlords must still act reasonably in what they charge, and can pursue developers or claim from government remediation schemes rather than billing leaseholders directly.
Costs may still be challengeable at the First-tier Tribunal if they're unreasonable.
If your building is under 11m, a targeted funding scheme for lower-rise buildings with life-critical cladding defects opened for applications in August 2026.

Read the full picture, including funding routes, in our Building Safety Act guide and 2026 cladding funding schemes article.

Outside the Core Building Safety Act Test

Your building is below the height threshold

The core Building Safety Act 2022 protections generally apply to buildings of at least 11 metres or 5 storeys. Since your building is shorter than that, the cladding-cost and £15k/£10k cap protections generally don't apply — but you're not necessarily without options:

A new targeted funding scheme for lower-rise buildings with life-critical cladding defects opened for applications in August 2026.
Some leases carry contractual protections worth checking with a solicitor.
Costs still have to be reasonable, and can be challenged at the First-tier Tribunal.

See our guide to 2026 cladding remediation funding schemes for the routes available to buildings outside the core Act.

Worth Double-Checking

We can't give you a confident answer from this alone

Your situation has a detail that needs a bit more digging before you can be sure either way — usually the building's exact height/storey count, or the previous owner's circumstances on 14 February 2022.

Ask your freeholder or managing agent directly for confirmation of your building's height and your qualifying status — they're required to provide a landlord's certificate before charging you anything toward building safety costs.
Your solicitor's file from when you bought the flat may show the previous owner's circumstances, or your managing agent may hold this on record.

Our full Building Safety Act guide covers exactly what to ask for and what the certificate should show.

🔍 How This Quiz Works

This quiz applies the two-part “qualifying leaseholder” test from the Building Safety Act 2022, applied as at 14 February 2022 — the date the relevant protections were announced:

Building height: at least 11 metres tall, or at least 5 storeys.
Ownership status on 14 February 2022: the flat was your only or main home, or you owned no more than 3 UK residential properties in total (including the one in question). If you bought after that date, the test looks at whether the previous owner would have qualified.

This is a quick, informal indication, not a legal determination — your formal status is confirmed by your landlord's certificate. Full detail, a worked example, and sources: our Building Safety Act 2022 guide.

🔒 What Qualifying Status Actually Gets You

If you qualify, cladding removal itself is free — an absolute protection, not a capped contribution. Other historical building safety defects (fire doors, missing fire breaks, and similar) are capped at £15,000 in Greater London or £10,000 elsewhere, as a lifetime total. If you don't qualify, or your building is outside the Act's height threshold, see our guide to 2026 cladding remediation funding schemes for other routes.

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Frequently Asked Questions Full Building Safety Act Guide Cladding Funding Schemes Waking Watch Costs

Frequently Asked Questions

A qualifying leaseholder is someone whose building is at least 11 metres tall or 5 storeys, and where, as of 14 February 2022, the flat was their main home or they owned no more than 3 UK residential properties in total. Buyers who purchased after this date can still qualify if the previous owner would have.

No. This quiz gives a quick, informal indication based on the core Building Safety Act 2022 test. Your formal qualifying status is confirmed by your landlord's certificate, and in disputed cases by the First-tier Tribunal.

You can still be a qualifying leaseholder. The test looks at whether the previous owner would have qualified on 14 February 2022, and that protection generally transfers to you as the new leaseholder.