"Official" Thread for all of us waiting for a cladding report...

hsidhu81

Hi all, I’m currently trying to remortgage with NatWest, upon sending in my EWS1 form the bank has come back to me stating the valuer will not accept the certificate due to the fact that my apartment number is not on the form. It has my building name along with the postcode and also states on the form that the certificate covers the building as a whole (covering all the apartments). 

I’ve been in contact with the building management team and they tell me that all banks should now be accepting the EWS1 form. 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

jont107

hsidhu81 said:

Hi all, I’m currently trying to remortgage with NatWest, upon sending in my EWS1 form the bank has come back to me stating the valuer will not accept the certificate due to the fact that my apartment number is not on the form. It has my building name along with the postcode and also states on the form that the certificate covers the building as a whole (covering all the apartments). 

I’ve been in contact with the building management team and they tell me that all banks should now be accepting the EWS1 form. 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I thought the whole point of the certificate was that it was for the building anyway?

hsidhu81

Yes, that’s exactly what it is for, however whoever is valuing on behalf of NatWest clearly has no understanding regarding the EWS form.

 Very frustrating as the deal with the lender was found pre covid. My mortgage broker says he will find it difficult to find me another deal as good as he’s found, so going to another lender is a no go for me. 

kbro29

Hi all, we are currently trying to sell our london flat and our buyer's lender is requesting an EWS1 as well. The issue is that our building is under 18m in height and also does not actually have any cladding. I have contacted the managing company who have said that due to this, the freeholder is not planning on obtaining said certificate either. I have read a lot of horror stories on here, but have not read about anyone in a similar situation so I am just curious if this has happened to anyone. What did you do in this case, if anything? We really need to sell soon!

Thanks! 

Joey1998

Kbro, this is likely due to new government guidance this January. I've just had a similar problem buying in a four storey building. It appears valuers are hiding behind this and asking for it for everything. It seems the Governments vague advice is wreaking havoc.

My broker told me not to bother applying with another lender as it's the valuers who will advise the same to any lender. 

kbro29

Joey1998 said:

Kbro, this is likely due to new government guidance this January. I've just had a similar problem buying in a four storey building. It appears valuers are hiding behind this and asking for it for everything. It seems the Governments vague advice is wreaking havoc.

My broker told me not to bother applying with another lender as it's the valuers who will advise the same to any lender. 

Do you know if there is a way to get a new valuation done at all? What ended up happening in your situation?

eso988

kbro29 said:

Hi all, we are currently trying to sell our london flat and our buyer's lender is requesting an EWS1 as well. The issue is that our building is under 18m in height and also does not actually have any cladding. I have contacted the managing company who have said that due to this, the freeholder is not planning on obtaining said certificate either. I have read a lot of horror stories on here, but have not read about anyone in a similar situation so I am just curious if this has happened to anyone. What did you do in this case, if anything? We really need to sell soon!

Thanks! 

I was in exactly the same position in March and it stalled the sale of my shared ownership flat. The surveyor told me about the EWS1 requirement when he came to do the mortgage valuation, I hadn't heard of it before this point as we are in a block under 18m with no cladding. On the 21st May, RICS updated the guidance on their website to say that blocks of 2-3 storeys don't require EWS1, see question 2 on the RICS website under latest-news/fire-safety/cladding-qa/. Since this, a flat downstairs had their mortgage approved! My buyer requested that their application (with Halifax) was reviewed and it was finally approved yesterday.

Joey1998

kbro29 said:

Joey1998 said:

Kbro, this is likely due to new government guidance this January. I've just had a similar problem buying in a four storey building. It appears valuers are hiding behind this and asking for it for everything. It seems the Governments vague advice is wreaking havoc.

My broker told me not to bother applying with another lender as it's the valuers who will advise the same to any lender. 

Do you know if there is a way to get a new valuation done at all? What ended up happening in your situation?

The sale has stalled with no end in sight. 
The issue is I never got a valuation, it was valued at 0 pounds until the EWS1 form is provided so the lender isnt even considering it until the valuation firm receives EWS1.

kbro29

I'm really sorry to hear that's happened to you. I hope that gets resolved soon and you obtain an EWS1.

dean0g

We have just received the request and have no idea what to do, can anyone help ?

Does anyone know of how we could even get this form signed ? 

Our situation is a probate sale, single self contained maisonette in a Two storey block, no communal area, height probably 9 meters at the very most, with a bit of timber cladding on one side of the place (the front) which is about 3 metres in length a little rectangle, no other cladding, brick building, our unit is about four meters off the ground with its own entrance. Basically the top floor of a house.

Due to the Ministry of Housing,Communities & Local Government‘s ill thought out advice in January the Halifax (our buyers mortgage company) are asking for the Ews1 form, even though it says on the form itself it shouldn’t apply to buildings less than 18 meters, that it shouldn’t be used by third parties for lending decisions and the rics guidelines also stating not to request or apply the form to buildings of less than four storeys, the form even says that the cladding should be “significant amounts” of combustible material with a specific concern. Not just “cladding”.

I have written to my mp and to the Ministry of Housing,Communities & Local Government because this is pretty crazy, it will effect hundreds of thousands of properties in the UK, In this close alone there is about 30 - 40 units effected, I would advise any of you stuck in my situation to do the same as it is madness and clearly a consequence of somebody not thinking their guidance through before signing it off. It’s such a shame as the buyers seemed like a nice couple now in danger of their purchase falling through because of a mortgage company hiding behind government legislation to justify poor underwriting standards and lack of knowledge of rics guidance.

Also apparently freehold houses of the same size with cladding don’t set on fire and are no fire risk ? As it doesn’t apply to them. ..... nonsense.

 I just hope a fair few mps are affected.