Health and safety | UK Regulatory Outlook March 2026

Building Safety (Wales) Bill passes Senedd 

The Senedd passed the Building Safety (Wales) Bill on 10 March 2026, establishing a new building safety regime for residents of multi-occupied buildings across Wales. Unlike the equivalent legislation in England, which focuses on higher-risk buildings above 18 metres, the Welsh regime applies to all multi-occupied residential buildings containing two or more residential units. The bill creates three categories of building, determined by height and number of storeys, with the tallest buildings subject to the strictest regulation. 

Developed in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the bill rests on three pillars: fire risk assessments must be carried out by competent persons, with criminal penalties for non-compliance; building managers will have clear, defined legal responsibilities for safety; and residents will have stronger rights of redress and a greater say in how their buildings are managed.  

In addition, Category 1 and Category 2 buildings will be subject to registration by local authorities and will require structural risk assessments alongside fire risk assessments. 

Building owners, managers and developers with assets in Wales should review how the new regime will apply to their portfolios. Given the bill's wider scope and use of categories, as compared to England, businesses that have structured their compliance around height thresholds should not assume their existing frameworks will be sufficient.