FHS Launch - When does it apply?

After years of anticipation, we finally have details of the Future Homes Standard and the new Approved Document Part L that will be applied to construction sites across England.

One of the most asked questions is simply, When?

When are these new rules coming into effect?

Sites will need to uplift to the Future Homes Standard on new submissions from March 2027, and unstarted buildings from March 2028, with an additional six month's grace period for complex buildings.

⏰ For most developments, we have a full calendar year to get ourselves ready. The new Part L goes live on 24th March 2027.

This is defined as the date the developer submits documents (initial notice, building notice, application with full plans) to the relevant building authority.

If paperwork is submitted and accepted before 24th March, the site can built to the 2021 (current) regs.

If they submit before the cut-off date, site managers then have 12 months to get all buildings started on the site.

Any buildings not started by 24th March 2028 will need to be upgraded to meet the Future Homes Standard.

This transition will also capture any unstarted buildings from the older 2013 version of Part L – those plots will need to be uplifted to the new standard too.

It’s worth noting these transitions apply to buildings, not individual dwellings. A building can be defined as a row of terraced houses or an apartment block.

🏢 There are different launch dates for High Risk Buildings (HRB).

HRBs (as defined by the Building Safety Act and typically applies to apartment blocks over 18 metres tall), have been given an additional six months.

That means Gateway 2 applications are required by 24th September 2027.

Again, this is followed by a 12 month transitional period for work to commence on buildings registered to the 2021 (current) regs.

Unstarted HRBs registered under the older 2013 regs will not need to be upgraded.

These different rules acknowledge the complex nature of high-rise, and aim to avoid any rushed design changes that could have knock-on implications.

The above dates are specific to England. Sites in Wales will need to meet their equivalent new standard in early March. No word yet from Scotland.