Cladding remains one of the most misunderstood issues in the UK property market. While significant progress has been made since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, many buyers still assume that any building with cladding is impossible to mortgage. Others discover the issue only after their mortgage application has stalled, leaving them facing delays, uncertainty, or even the collapse of a purchase.

The reality is more nuanced. Thousands of flats and apartment buildings are successfully bought and sold every year despite having external wall systems. What matters is not simply whether a building has cladding, but whether the building has been properly assessed, whether any safety concerns have been addressed, and how individual lenders view the level of risk.

Understanding how lenders assess cladding today can help buyers avoid costly surprises and ensure transactions progress as smoothly as possible.

Why Cladding Still Matters to Mortgage Lenders

Mortgage lenders are lending against a property that may need to be repossessed and sold if the borrower defaults. If there are unresolved fire safety concerns affecting the building, the property's value and marketability can become uncertain.

Following the Grenfell disaster, lenders significantly tightened their approach to flats and apartment blocks containing combustible materials. Since then, government reforms, updated guidance and extensive remediation programmes have improved confidence across much of the market. However, lenders still need reassurance that any external wall systems do not present an unacceptable fire risk.

This means fire safety documentation remains an important part of many mortgage applications involving flats, particularly those in purpose-built apartment buildings and mixed-use developments.

What Is Cladding?

Cladding is simply the outer layer fixed to the exterior of a building. It serves several purposes, including weather protection, insulation, energy efficiency and aesthetics.

Many modern cladding systems are entirely safe and fully compliant with current regulations. Problems arise where certain combustible materials have been used within the external wall system or where construction methods create unacceptable fire risks.

Importantly, not every building with cladding is unsafe, and not every building requires expensive remediation work. Each building is assessed individually based on its design, construction and materials.

Understanding the EWS1 Process

One of the most important documents in the mortgage process is the External Wall System (EWS1) assessment.

An EWS1 form is completed by a suitably qualified professional following an assessment of the building's external wall construction. It helps valuers and lenders understand whether combustible materials are present and whether any remedial work is required.

Although many people assume every apartment block requires an EWS1 certificate, this is not the case. Current industry guidance adopts a more proportionate, risk-based approach. Many lower-rise buildings no longer require an EWS1 assessment at all, while some taller or more complex buildings still do.

Whether an EWS1 form is needed depends on factors including the building's height, construction type, external materials and the valuer's assessment rather than a simple height threshold alone.

Can You Get a Mortgage on a Property With Cladding?

In many cases, yes.

Properties with external wall systems are regularly financed where lenders are satisfied that the building presents an acceptable level of risk. The key factors usually include:

• Appropriate fire safety documentation where required.
• No unresolved life-critical fire safety defects.
• Clear evidence that any remediation programme is funded and progressing where necessary.
• A valuation that supports the agreed purchase price.

Many buyers are surprised to discover that buildings with previously identified issues may become fully mortgageable once remediation has been completed or government funding has been confirmed.

Each lender, however, has its own underwriting policy. Some are more comfortable than others with buildings undergoing remediation or awaiting final certification.

What Happens If Documentation Is Missing?

One of the most common causes of delay is incomplete fire safety documentation.

Where lenders or valuers believe additional evidence is required, they may postpone issuing a mortgage offer until the necessary reports have been obtained. In some cases, the valuation cannot be finalised until the managing agent provides the relevant documentation.

These delays can become frustrating, particularly where buyers, sellers, solicitors and mortgage advisers are all waiting for information from managing agents or freeholders.

The property itself may ultimately prove entirely mortgageable, but obtaining the required paperwork can sometimes take considerably longer than expected.

The Impact of the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act introduced major reforms designed to improve building safety while protecting many leaseholders from the costs of historical defects.

The legislation strengthened accountability throughout the construction industry and created new responsibilities for developers, building owners and regulators. Alongside government remediation schemes, this has helped unlock many transactions that previously would have struggled to proceed.

While the legal framework has improved considerably, some buildings remain subject to ongoing remediation programmes, funding applications or legal disputes. These situations can still influence lender appetite until matters are fully resolved.

Why Specialist Mortgage Advice Can Make a Difference

Cladding cases rarely fit neatly into standard lending criteria.

A broker experienced in this area understands which lenders are currently comfortable with different building types, what documentation underwriters are likely to request, and how to present the case efficiently from the outset.

Rather than submitting applications that are likely to be delayed or declined, specialist advice helps identify the lenders whose policies best match the property's circumstances.

Where remediation work is underway, advisers can also explore alternative funding strategies where appropriate, including short-term finance while longer-term issues are resolved.

Practical Steps Before You Buy

If you're considering purchasing a flat, it's worth investigating the building's fire safety position before committing yourself financially.

Ask whether any external wall assessments have been completed, whether remediation works are required or underway, and whether funding has been secured where applicable. Your solicitor should also investigate these issues as part of the legal process, but identifying potential concerns early can save considerable time later.

Most importantly, avoid assuming that the presence of cladding automatically makes a property unmortgageable. Equally, don't assume that every lender will take the same view. The correct funding solution often depends on matching the property with a lender whose criteria reflect the building's current position.

How Willow Private Finance Can Help

At Willow Private Finance, we regularly assist buyers purchasing flats where external wall systems, fire safety documentation or remediation programmes form part of the transaction.

Our advisers understand how lender policies continue to evolve and work closely with valuers, solicitors and specialist lenders to minimise unnecessary delays wherever possible.

Whether you're buying your first apartment, remortgaging a leasehold property or have already experienced a mortgage decline because of cladding concerns, we can help identify the most appropriate lending options for your circumstances.