The building assessment certificate

In short: A building assessment certificate is issued by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) once it is satisfied that a higher-risk building is being managed in line with the Building Safety Act 2022. The principal accountable person (PAP) must apply when the BSR directs them to, the safety case report is assessed as part of the process, and once issued the certificate must be displayed in the building.

What it is

The certificate is the BSR's confirmation, following assessment, that the accountable persons are meeting their duties for a particular building. It is not something you obtain up front - the regulator calls buildings forward over time and directs the PAP to apply.

When you apply

You apply when the BSR directs you to. The regulator is working through the stock of occupied higher-risk buildings and will issue directions in turn. When a direction arrives, there is a defined window to apply - so the time to get your evidence in order is before the direction lands, not after.

What the BSR assesses

As part of the application the regulator assesses whether the building's risks are being properly managed. In practice that means testing:

• the safety case report and the assessment behind it;
• the golden thread of building information;
• whether the accountable persons are meeting their wider duties, including resident engagement and mandatory occurrence reporting.

Displaying the certificate

Once issued, the building assessment certificate - together with a summary of the accountable persons' compliance - must be displayed in the building where residents can see it.

The offences

It is an offence to fail to apply for a certificate when directed to do so by the BSR, and to occupy or allow occupation of a higher-risk building without meeting the requirements. See our guide to BSR enforcement.

How CTS helps

CTS gets you ready for the direction before it arrives - building and evidencing the safety case from a structured assessment, holding the golden thread on the CTS BuildSafe platform, and making sure the accountable person duties are demonstrably met - so that when the BSR calls your building forward, the application is straightforward.

General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by the CTS building safety team.