Overview

In response to public concerns over fire safety the government is proposing a radical overhaul to the Building Regulations regime to ensure buildings meet minimum standards and are safely managed.

The Building Safety Bill is draft legislation which will become the Building Safety Act when it receives royal assent.    The Act will affect all aspects of a building’s life cycle from design through to occupation.  Particular attention is given to multi-storey “higher risk buildings” – those with at least two residential units and at least 18 metres or 7 storeys high.  Many halls of residence will fall into the “higher risk buildings” category and the Act will impose new statutory duties on those responsible for procuring and managing those buildings.

Many halls of residence have complex ownership and management structures.  The Act will require each building to have an “accountable person”.  Clear records will need to be kept and handed over when there is a change of control.

The Act will aim to empower occupiers and this will present its own challenges in student accommodation.

Objectives

By the end of the seminar those attending will be informed about the 5 different parts of the Building Safety Bill and have an understanding of how the new legislation will affect student accommodation – whether owned or managed by universities or by the private sector.

Some of the questions this seminar will seek to answer include:

• Where there are existing arrangements in place between an educational institution and a PBSA provider, who will be responsible for compliance with the new duties?
• What level of consultation will we need to have with student occupiers?
• Where do we stand if we already have a building, but the “golden thread” of information about its construction and design is incomplete?
• How will the new legislation affect the approved codes of practice (ANUK and UUK)
• Will this legislation have any effect on HMO licensing?

Who should attend, and why?

This seminar is aimed at those responsible for procuring new student accommodation assets and those responsible for their management or control once the buildings are occupied.    The speaker has nearly 30 years of advising student accommodation providers and educational establishments on their statutory obligations and will focus on those aspects of the Bill that are most relevant to student accommodation.

The Bill is in its final stages and it’s time to prepare for implementation if you haven’t already done so.  Failure to comply with the new duties can result in fines and/or custodial sentences, as well as being devastating to the reputations of those involved.  The Bill runs to over 330 pages and will be supplemented by detailed regulations.   This seminar will help you with information overload and guide you to what’s most relevant to your role.

Who and Why?

 New duties are about to be imposed on people responsible for procuring or managing high-rise student accommodation.   Best practice can give you a competitive edge.   Failure to comply will be a criminal offence.  The speaker is someone with nearly 30 years’ experience of advising student accommodation providers.  This seminar will focus specifically on how the new law will affect them.

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