New legislation — in force April 2026
Do you need Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for your building?
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. They create a new, specific duty for responsible persons managing certain residential buildings. Most building owners don't know they apply to them.
What this is
What is a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan?
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan — a PEEP — is a written, individual plan for a resident who may not be able to evacuate a building independently in the event of a fire. This includes residents with mobility impairments, visual or hearing impairments, cognitive conditions, or any other factor that means a standard evacuation route or method may not work for them.
Under the regulations, if you are the Responsible Person for a building in scope, you must: proactively identify residents who may need assistance to evacuate; offer those residents a person-centred fire risk assessment; and, where the resident requests one, agree a written PEEP with them that sets out exactly how they will be assisted to evacuate safely in the event of a fire.
This is not an optional enhancement to your fire safety arrangements — it's a specific statutory duty. Failure to comply is a breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended, and can result in enforcement action, improvement notices, or prosecution.
Scope
Is your building in scope?
The regulations apply to residential buildings with sleeping risk — but not all of them. Broadly, a building is more likely to be in scope where it's residential, has 5 or more storeys, and has genuine sleeping risk. Verify Fire's "What Does This Mean For My Building" tool checks this against your specific building and, where you're in scope, gives you a reference number to purchase the RPEEP Compliance Service against.
Answer three quick questions about your building to get an indicative scope check.
Check your buildingThis table is a general guide, not a definitive scope determination. Whether your specific building is in scope depends on its precise configuration, use, and occupancy — use the check above for an assessment against your building.
Your obligations
What the regulations require you to do
If your building is in scope, you have three specific duties as Responsible Person. These are not discretionary — they are legal requirements.
Proactively identify residents who may need assistance
Take reasonable steps to identify every resident who may not be able to self-evacuate — including contacting residents directly, reviewing existing records, and making enquiries at letting or management stage. You cannot wait for residents to come forward.
Offer a person-centred fire risk assessment
Every identified resident must be offered an individual fire risk assessment focused on their specific evacuation needs — not a generic building assessment — considering their mobility, sensory, cognitive, or medical needs against your building's evacuation arrangements.
Agree and document a written PEEP where requested
Where a resident requests a PEEP following the assessment, agree a written plan with them setting out how, with whose help, and by which route they will evacuate. The plan must be kept current and reviewed whenever relevant circumstances change.
The consequence of non-compliance
Failure to comply with these regulations is a breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Enforcing authorities — primarily Fire and Rescue Services — have powers to issue enforcement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecute responsible persons. In the event of a fire where a resident with a known mobility need could not evacuate, the absence of a PEEP would be a significant aggravating factor in any enforcement action or prosecution.
£149one-off
RPEEP Compliance Service
We check whether your building is in scope of the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) Regulations 2025 and, if it is, give you a clear, step-by-step compliance pathway — so you know exactly what you need to do and in what order.
- Definitive scope determination for your specific building
- Written compliance pathway document
- Template resident identification letter
- Guidance on what a compliant PEEP must contain
- Delivered within 5 working days of instruction
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
The regulations came into force in April 2026. Am I already in breach if I haven't done anything?
If your building is in scope and you haven't taken any steps to identify residents who may need evacuation assistance, you're technically in breach of your duties under the regulations from the date they came into force. The practical risk of enforcement action increases if an incident occurs and it can be shown you hadn't complied. The right response is to act now rather than wait.
Does this apply to all residential buildings, or just high-rise?
It applies to a broader range of buildings than just high-rise. HMOs, care homes, and purpose-built residential buildings with sleeping risk can be in scope from 5 storeys upward — you don't need to manage a tower block for these obligations to apply to you.
I already have a fire risk assessment in place. Does that cover my PEEP obligations?
No. A standard fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order doesn't satisfy your PEEP obligations. The regulations create a separate, specific duty to proactively identify residents with evacuation needs and produce individual plans for them.
What if no resident in my building has a mobility or evacuation need?
Even if you believe no resident currently has an evacuation need, you still have a duty to proactively identify whether that's the case — you can't simply assume it. You should have a documented process for identifying residents' needs. If you've genuinely taken these steps and found no resident requires a PEEP, that finding should be documented.
Who enforces these regulations?
The regulations are enforced by Fire and Rescue Services as part of their powers under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Enforcement is most likely to be triggered following a fire incident, a complaint from a resident, or a routine fire safety audit of your building.
Does this apply in Wales?
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 apply to England only. Wales has separate building safety legislation — the Building Safety (Wales) Bill — which creates its own obligations for responsible persons. If your building is in Wales, see our Wales Building Safety products.
This page provides general guidance only — it is not legal advice. For advice specific to your building and circumstances, consult a qualified fire safety solicitor or your local Fire and Rescue Service.