Fire safety

The external wall system (EWS) is made up of the outside wall of a residential building, including cladding, insulation, fire break systems, etc.

The EWS1 form is designed to be used for residential properties such as blocks of flats (including those owned by housing associations and social housing providers as well as privately owned), student accommodation, dormitories, assisted living, care homes and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

The EWS1 form is not specifically designed for use of short-term accommodation such as hotels, or for other types of buildings. EWS1 does, however, apply to an entire building or block so where required, may also be relevant to mixed use.

The EWS1 process, and resulting form, is a set way for a building owner to confirm to lenders and valuers that an external wall system on residential buildings has been assessed for safety by a suitable expert, in line with government guidance and legislation. The EWS1 Form is NOT a life safety certificate. 

The EWS1 process delivers assurance for lenders, valuers, residents, buyers and sellers. The process was developed through extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including fire engineers, lenders, insurers, valuers, and other cross industry representatives.

The process itself involves a "qualified professional" (see download on this page) conducting a fire-risk appraisal on the external wall system, before signing an EWS1 form, which is valid for the entire building for five years.

The form was originally designed following Government advice regarding external wall systems for buildings above 18m and was created to ensure residential buildings over 18m tall could be assessed for safety to allow lenders to offer mortgages. Changes in Government advice in January 2020, brought all residential buildings of any height potentially within scope.

However not every building will require an EWS1 form. RICS has published proportionate guidance for valuers on 8 March 2021 and is working with UK Government and other stakeholders to ensure the guidance is implemented post the effective date of 5 April 2021. This guidance includes criteria that will be used to help decide whether a particular building should need an EWS1 form. Valuers will always need to follow instructions given by their lender clients.

The criteria considers the height of the building, the type of cladding and (in some circumstances) how much of it there is on the building. There are also criteria relating to balconies and combustible material. You should always have a rationale to justify the request for the EWS1 form.

This Act closes the loophole that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 had overlooked 16 years ago - on the need for the external walls of a building and fire doors to individual flats to be assessed as part of the requirement for a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) of the building.

Now there can be no question (in England & Wales) that from now on, the Responsible Person has a legal responsibility to commission an updated FRA with the external walls and fire doors assessed too.

Until such time as all relevant buildings have updated FRAs with EWS assessments, we envisage that there will still be a need for an EWS1 Form to inform lenders and valuers if there are any likely remediation costs affecting value.

If under the Fire Safety Act’s new requirements, remedial works are identified, this is likely to have an impact on the value of a home depending on the cost and/or the liability for payment for the remediation works.

Valuers will need to be aware of any new updated FRA with an EWS assessment on the subject property, and also the properties being used as comparable evidence.

No, they remain valid until such time as a new EWS1 form or updated fire risk assessment including an EWS appraisal is completed.

RICS is aware of blocks of flats where more than one EWS1 Form has been produced. RICS is also aware that Government have advised, under ‘Ministerial Statement (HCWS228) on building safety in medium and lower-rise blocks of flats’ announced in Parliament on 21st July 2021’ that there are recommendations to review all existing EWS1 forms. The building owner is responsible for clarifying which EWS1 Form is current, whether the form is still required, or why more than one form was produced which will normally explain the situation. If needed, the building owner should refer to the professionals involved and where appropriate through the firm’s formal complaint handling procedures.

RICS regulated firms are required to have a formal complaints handling procedure in place and are subject to regulatory oversight. Where there are concerns over a RICS member or firm’s competence or conduct, these can be raised through our formal regulatory process.

RICS can not become involved in professionals registered with other bodies.