The Building Safety Act is here—are your property documents ready?

The Building Safety Act has fundamentally changed how property managers must handle building information. Here’s what you need to know to ensure compliance.

What is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act 2022 is the UK’s most significant reform to building safety legislation in nearly 40 years, introducing mandatory digital record-keeping, accountable persons, and the Golden Thread of Information for higher-risk buildings. It introduces strict requirements for:

• Golden Thread of Information - A complete, accurate digital record of a building’s design, construction, and maintenance
• Building safety cases - Comprehensive documentation proving buildings are safe
• Accountable persons - Clear responsibility for building safety

Key Documentation Requirements

1. Design and Construction Records

You must maintain complete records of:

• Original architectural plans
• Structural engineering drawings
• Fire safety strategies
• Materials specifications
• As-built documentation

2. Maintenance and Inspection Records

Ongoing compliance requires:

• Regular inspection reports
• Maintenance logs
• Repair and modification records
• Certification documents
• Contractor records

3. Safety Case Reports

High-risk buildings need comprehensive safety cases including:

• Risk assessments
• Fire safety measures
• Emergency evacuation plans
• Resident safety information

What documentation challenges do property managers face?

Most property managers face these challenges:

1. Fragmented information - Documents scattered across folders, emails, and filing cabinets
2. Poor naming conventions - Files with cryptic names that make search impossible
3. Missing documents - Critical records that can’t be located
4. Version control issues - Multiple copies with unclear which is current

How can AI help with Building Safety Act compliance?

Modern AI-powered document management systems can:

• Automatically organise thousands of documents by type and relevance
• Suggest better filenames based on document content
• Enable natural language search - Find documents by asking questions
• Track document relationships - Link related files automatically
• Identify gaps - Flag missing required documentation

Getting Compliant in 5 Steps

Step 1: Audit Your Current Documentation

Create an inventory of what you have and identify gaps.

Step 2: Digitize Everything

Scan physical documents and consolidate digital files.

Step 3: Organise Systematically

Implement a clear folder structure aligned with the Golden Thread requirements.

Step 4: Implement Search Tools

Deploy AI-powered search to make information discoverable.

Step 5: Establish Processes

Create workflows to ensure ongoing compliance.

What are the penalties for Building Safety Act non-compliance?

Non-compliance with the Building Safety Act can result in unlimited fines, criminal prosecution of responsible persons, and prohibition orders preventing building occupation. The penalties are severe:

• Unlimited fines for serious breaches
• Criminal prosecution of responsible persons
• Prohibition orders preventing building occupation
• Reputational damage affecting property values

Taking Action

Don’t wait until an inspection to discover your documentation is inadequate. Start organising your building information today.

Need help getting compliant? Findable’s AI-powered platform can help you organise, search, and manage your building documentation in minutes, not months.

Book a demo to see how we can help you achieve Building Safety Act compliance.

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For further reading on the Golden Thread and what it means in practice, see our panel discussion recap on building a culture of safety through the Golden Thread. If you manage PBSA properties specifically, our guide on surviving the BTR boom covers how documentation compliance intersects with CapEx strategy. You can also explore why Findable compared to manual processes and generic AI tools.