Building owners, landlords and residential managers are urged to familiarise themselves with new fire safety laws – which will require them to improve evacuation arrangements for people who need support leaving buildings.
From April 6, new Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) will apply to certain multi-occupied residential buildings in England to improve the fire safety of disabled and vulnerable people in high rise and higher risk residential buildings.
It will require Responsible Persons to identify residents who may have difficulty escaping without assistance because of a physical or cognitive impairment, offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment and – where the resident wishes – agree an emergency evacuation statement setting out what the resident should do if a fire occurs.
They must also develop and maintain a building wide emergency evacuation plan.
The new RPEEP regulations are part of the new Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025. They will apply to residential buildings in England that are over 18 metres or 7 storeys, or over 11 metres where a simultaneous evacuation strategy is in place.
With the resident’s explicit consent, building owners will share a small amount of essential information with the Fire Service, including their flat number, floor number and a basic indication of the assistance they may need. No medical or personal information will be shared.
Responsible Persons should leave any relevant information in the secure information box on site, which the Fire and Rescue Service will access during an emergency incident.
Scott Richards, Head of Protection, said: “One of our main priorities is to improve fire safety in the buildings where people live.
“These changes are an important step towards making sure everyone feels safe in their own home, especially those who might need extra support in an emergency. They give much clearer expectations for building owners and managers, and we welcome that.
“If any resident thinks they may benefit from these new arrangements, we’d encourage them to speak to their building owner or managing agent.
“Our role is to use the information that is shared with us to support our crews on the ground and to continue working with our partners to help keep our communities safe.”
Although responsible persons are required to use reasonable endeavours to identify relevant residents, participation in the RPEEP process is entirely voluntary for those residents that are identified, and they can withdraw consent at any time.
Fire and Rescue Services are not responsible for conducting assessments, creating evacuation statements, or deciding on mitigation measures – these remain the responsibility of building owners and managers.
Further information can be found on the Government website by clicking here.
