From 6^th April 2026, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 will require Responsible Persons (typically building owners or managers) to identify residents who may need help evacuating in a fire and to take steps to support them. These residents, referred to as relevant residents, may have mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments.

The Regulations introduce Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs), which include:

• Identifying relevant residents
• A person-centred fire risk assessment
• An agreed emergency evacuation statement
• Optional consent-based sharing of information with the local Fire and Rescue Authority
• Ongoing review of plans and evacuation procedures

These duties are legally enforceable and apply to residential buildings over 18 metres or seven storeys, or 11 metres and above with a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

The new rules follow recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which called for legally required evacuation planning for residents unable to self-evacuate. Government consultations found that workplace-style PEEPs were impractical in residential settings, so an alternative approach was developed and formalised through the EEIS+ consultation in 2022.

Participation in Residential PEEPs is voluntary, and residents must give explicit consent for information sharing. Enforcement will fall to Fire and Rescue Authorities, though residents in higher-risk buildings can also raise complaints through the Building Safety Regulator.

Residential PEEPs: Factsheet

View the source.

Discover how you can make a difference in the fire industry by getting involved with our Councils, Working Groups and Special Interest Groups. Learn more here.