MSHB

Some homeowners (landlords and owner occupiers) may be surprised to learn that from 1 February 2022 the requirements relating to smoke alarms within the home are changing. Following the 2017 Grenfell disaster, the Scottish Government have amended the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 by way of The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019. The effect of this is to change what constitutes the ‘tolerable standard’ by requiring higher specification smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and heat detectors.

Last month Glasgow hosted COP26, where leaders from all around the world gathered to take decisive action to tackle the climate crisis. This conference forced all sectors to examine their actions and consider how these affect our environment.

Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in London, the UK government have made it a priority to address the issue of unsafe cladding on residential units. In response, the government have announced that it would introduce a new tax levy in 2022 on the profits which large residential property developers make from UK residential development.