Leaseholders in Wales will be able to claim support for the cost of alarm systems, to ease the financial burden imposed by interim measures required while remediation work takes place.
- Welsh Government announces the creation of the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant.
- From 1 October 2026, the fund will ease the burden of expensive interim measures costs, potentially saving residents in eligible buildings hundreds of pounds each month.
- Some leaseholders may also be entitled to refunds if they have already paid for alarms to be installed.
From 1 October 2026, leaseholders in eligible buildings will be able to access funding through the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant, part of the Welsh Building Safety Fund.
The change means residents will no longer have to shoulder the cost of alarm systems needed to support a simultaneous evacuation policy while remediation work is completed.
Interim measures, such as waking watch or an upgraded alarm system, have left many leaseholders facing costs running into hundreds of pounds a month. By supporting the installation of an appropriate alarm system, this new policy will significantly reduce or remove the need for a waking watch and the financial burden it brings.
Where leaseholders have already funded the installation of interim alarms in eligible buildings an application can be made for reimbursement.
Appearing before the Senedd, the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian, said:
Since taking up this role, I have met leaseholders and listened to their stories. I have been moved by what I’ve heard. Their accounts have stayed with me, and they have shaped my determination to act.
That is why I am pleased to announce today that I am launching a Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant. This fund will provide financial support to leaseholders facing the costs of interim alarm systems required to support a simultaneous evacuation policy.
Updating members on the Building Safety Remediation Programme, the Cabinet Minister said she had recently met all the developers signed up to the Welsh Government developer contract.
I made it clear that all obligations under the contract must be met or I will not hesitate to pursue all appropriate avenues in relation to any failures. I am committed to accelerating the pace of remediation and holding developers to account.
The Cabinet Minister indicated she hopes to lay regulations under the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 before the Christmas recess, paving the way for additional leaseholder protections on remediation to come into force in 2027.