Evacuation plans for disabled residents: the high-rise duties now in force in England
Since 6 April 2026, the responsible person for a block in England of 18 metres or seven storeys, or over 11 metres with a simultaneous evacuation strategy, must identify residents who would struggle to get out in a fire and offer them an assessment. In some resident-run blocks that is the company.
What happened
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 were laid on 4 July 2025 and came into force on 6 April 2026. They respond to Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations on personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) and building evacuation plans.
Which buildings are covered
According to the Home Office factsheet, the regulations apply in England to any building with two or more homes that is either:
- at least 18 metres above ground or at least seven storeys; or
- more than 11 metres high and has a simultaneous evacuation strategy, where everyone is told to leave in a fire rather than stay put.
The duties fall on the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, usually the owner or manager of the building.
What the responsible person must do
The factsheet lists these duties:
- identify residents whose ability to get out of the building without help is compromised by a physical or cognitive impairment (a “relevant resident” must live there as their only or main home);
- offer a person-centred fire risk assessment: a conversation with the resident about their risks and what could reasonably be done;
- agree an emergency evacuation statement of what the resident should do in a fire, if the resident wants one;
- share information with the fire and rescue service, but only if the resident explicitly agrees;
- keep the assessments, statements and the building’s emergency evacuation plan under review.
What it means for your building
If your company owns or manages a tall block, it may be the responsible person. These are personal and sensitive conversations about residents’ health, often with neighbours, so a board needs to plan who handles them and how the information is stored. Health information is special category data under data protection law, which is a further reason to keep it to the people who need it.
What to do now
- Check your building’s height, storeys and evacuation strategy against the scope above. Your fire risk assessment should state the evacuation strategy.
- If you are in scope, read the Home Office guidance for responsible persons and its toolkit.
- Write to residents explaining that they can ask for an assessment, and record who has been offered one.
- Agree at a board meeting who leads on this, whether to use your fire risk assessor, and how records will be kept securely.
- Make sure the building’s emergency evacuation plan is up to date.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How Freeholdpilot helps
Freeholdpilot keeps the fire risk assessment and evacuation plan in the document store, puts review dates on the calendar of legal deadlines, and records board decisions, so the company can show what it has done and when.
Questions
Does this apply to our block?
It may, if the building is in England, contains two or more homes, and is either at least 18 metres high or seven storeys, or more than 11 metres with a simultaneous evacuation strategy. Smaller blocks are not covered by these regulations, though the general fire safety duties still apply.
Who is the responsible person?
Under fire safety law it is usually the person in control of the building, typically the owner or manager. In a block owned or managed by its leaseholders' company, that may be the company.
Do we have to send someone to help residents out?
The government chose not to require workplace-style plans with staff to carry people out. The duties are to identify residents, offer an assessment, agree a statement of what to do, share information with the fire service if the resident agrees, and keep it under review.
Does this apply in Wales?
No. These regulations apply in England only.
Sources
This is general information about the law in England and Wales unless it says otherwise, not legal advice for your building. For advice, speak to a solicitor or ask us to introduce one of our partner firms.
