Building Safety Regulator

Section 2(1) of the Building Safety Act 2022 supplies the core definition: in Part 2 of the Act 'the regulator' means the Building Safety Regulator. As enacted in 2022, the regulator's functions sat within the Health and Safety Executive, with Schedule 1 to the Act making amendments to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to establish it there. From 27 January 2026, however, the words identifying the regulator in section 2 were substituted, and the HSE-linked wording in section 2(2) was omitted, by the Building Safety Regulator (Establishment of New Body and Transfer of Functions etc.) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/20) — meaning the regulator's functions have moved out of the HSE into a new dedicated body.

The regulator's remit is defined by reference to 'higher-risk buildings'. Section 65 of the Act provides that, in Part 4, a higher-risk building means a building in England that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least 7 storeys, and contains at least 2 residential units. The Secretary of State may make regulations supplementing that definition, including defining 'building' or 'storey', how height is measured, and excluding prescribed descriptions of building from the definition.