Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

From Monday 6 April 2026, new regulations come into force introducing specific duties on Responsible Persons, including:

• building owners
• managing agents
• management companies
• any individual or organisation with control over the building or its common parts

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 introduce new duties relating to Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs). 

These duties apply to certain residential buildings in England and place clear responsibilities on the Responsible Person. 

The duties require Responsible Persons to plan for the evacuation of relevant residents:

• for whom the domestic premises is their only or principal residence
• who may have difficulty self-evacuating
• where the resident has given explicit consent, to share prescribed information with the Fire and Rescue Service to support operational response

Which buildings does this cover? 

The Regulations apply to residential buildings in England that contain two or more domestic premises and meet either of the following criteria: 

• buildings that are 18 metres or more in height, or seven or more storeys
• buildings that are more than 11 metres in height and operate a simultaneous evacuation strategy

What must the Responsible Person do? 

Where a building is in scope, the Responsible Person must take the following steps where required by the Regulations and, in each case, only where the resident has given explicit consent: 

• use reasonable endeavours to identify residents who may not be able to evacuate unaided, based on information that is known or made available to them - residents can also request this
• offer and, where the resident accepts the offer, ensure a Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment (PCFRA) is undertaken - this is typically a structured discussion between the Responsible Person and the resident; there is no requirement for a medical specialist to carry out the assessment
• prepare an Emergency Evacuation Statement setting out what the resident should do in the event of a fire
• provide the resident with a copy of their Emergency Evacuation Statement
• provide information to the Fire and Rescue Service about: 
  • the resident’s flat and floor number 
  • whether an evacuation statement is in place 
  • the level of assistance that may be required 
• keep this information under review, no later than 12 months after it is first recorded and at least every 12 months thereafter, or sooner if circumstances change or at the resident’s reasonable request

Ensure this information is available as a hard copy in the building’s secure information box. If a secure information box is not installed, then the Responsible Person must install and maintain one for this purpose. 

Fact sheet: Secure information box (regulation 4)

Where a measure is considered reasonable and proportionate only on the basis that the resident meets the cost, and the resident chooses not to do so, the Responsible Person is not required to implement that measure.

Consent and data protection 

All elements of the RPEEPs process are subject to the resident’s explicit consent. 

Information must be handled in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 and used only for fire safety and operational purposes in accordance with the Regulations and statutory guidance. 

A resident, or their representative, can withdraw consent at any time. 

Building Emergency Evacuation Plans 

In addition to individual RPEEPs, Responsible Persons for buildings in scope must also: 

• prepare a building-level Emergency Evacuation Plan 
• share this plan with their local Fire and Rescue Authority 
• place a copy in the Secure Information Box, where one is required 
• review the plan at least every 12 months, or sooner if changes occur 

Government guidance and support

Statutory guidance has been published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support Responsible Persons in understanding and meeting their duties. 

This includes: 

• Residential PEEPs: Factsheet
• Residential PEEPs: Guidance for Responsible Persons
• Responsible Persons toolkit
• Residential PEEPS and Building Level Evacuation Plans – Impact Assessment 

If you are responsible for a residential building and believe these Regulations may apply to you, you should first review the Government guidance and supporting materials.

These documents set out the legal duties, consent requirements, and practical expectations placed on Responsible Persons.