Floods Minister Emma Hardy has announced pilots of new Flood Performance Certificates intended to give homeowners clearer information about a property's flood risk and resilience.
The certificates will test a standardised rating covering factors such as exposure, property characteristics and resistance measures. They will draw on information already available through the national flood-risk service.
Assessments could record practical measures including flood barriers, self-closing air bricks, water-resilient flooring and adapted kitchens. They would also identify further steps a household could take.
Flood Re will begin pilot work in at-risk areas during 2026, with further pilots planned during 2027 and beyond. The longer-term ambition is for app-based self-assessments to become a routine part of understanding a home's vulnerability.
Insurers and lenders are expected to take part in testing how information is assessed and presented. No guarantee has been made that a certificate or particular improvement will reduce an individual insurance premium.
Hardy said the initiative was intended to give households trusted information in one place. The policy is at pilot stage and does not create a new mandatory certificate for property sales.
