These new measures are taken more than four years after Grenfell Tower's fire - Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty ImagesUnder new laws, homeowners will have up to 15 years to sue developers and builders for poor workmanship. This is more than twice the current limit.The Building Safety Bill will be published Monday. It will extend the current period of six years in which developers can bring legal claims. This is amid growing concern that homeowners may have to pay large sums to correct poor or non-compliant work.Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary, stated that the move was meant to give residents more power to seek redress against developers whose work is not up to par.It will be applied retrospectively in a very unusual move. Residents of buildings built after 2010 can sue the developer for poor workmanship or unsafe materials installation.This move is intended to end a Tory backbench revolt about the problem of leaseholders being saddled with large bills to replace combustible insulation, cladding and balcony decking after the Grenfell Tower fire.Many leaseholders cannot sell their houses because they lack the paperwork required to obtain mortgages from lenders.Campaigners supported by Tory MPs want the Government increase its 5 billion funding pot to remediate unsafe cladding on high rise buildings and to fund the replacement of non-compliant materials like combustible balcony flooring.The Telegraph has learned that ministers are becoming increasingly concerned about surveyors and freeholders using extreme risk aversion approaches to materials on buildings less then 18m tall. This is leaving many leaseholders with large bills for unneeded remediation work.Source from the Ministry of Housing said that: It is clear that the market must take a much more proportionate approach to the problem than what we are currently seeing. Only a small percentage of buildings are unsafe and don't need remediation, especially those below 18m. These buildings have a lower risk of injury or death.Continue the storyWe will do our best to assist these leaseholders in restoring the value of their properties. Safety is our number one priority. However, where there is no risk, we will not do any work or pursue other options to remedy the situation. This will avoid leaseholders getting hefty bills.According to a government source, significant progress was made in relieving freeholders from potential remediation bills and allowing them to sell their homes.Developers can be sued under the Defective Premises Act 1972 if a dwelling is not constructed with suitable materials and it is not fit for human habitation upon completion.Six years after the completion of work is considered complete, claims are subject to a six-year limitation. The Building Safety Bill will increase this time limit to 15 years. This change will be retroactive. The Bill will also expand existing legislation to cover future refurbishment work.Jenrick stated: This landmark piece of legislation gives residents greater rights to seek redress against developers who have done a poor job.We have taken the unusual step of allowing homeowners to sue builders and developers retrospectively for poor workmanship during construction. We are changing this because it is wrong that homeowners often pay these costs.This will shift the balance in favor of the consumer and help drive up standards within the industry. Developers have sent a clear message to the industry that they will be held responsible for substandard homes.
