If you are the responsible person for a block of flats that is at least 18 metres or seven storeys high, or over 11 metres with a simultaneous evacuation strategy, you must take reasonable steps to identify residents who may need help to evacuate, offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment, agree reasonable evacuation arrangements with them and, with their consent, share limited information with the fire and rescue service.
Which buildings are covered?
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. They apply to residential buildings in England that contain two or more sets of domestic premises and are either:
- at least 18 metres high or at least seven storeys, or
- more than 11 metres high with a simultaneous evacuation strategy, where everyone is expected to leave when the alarm sounds.
What the responsible person must do
- Make reasonable efforts to identify residents who may not be able to evacuate without help because of a physical or cognitive impairment. This relies largely on residents telling you, so it needs to be regularly and clearly offered.
- Offer a person-centred fire risk assessment to each resident who identifies themselves, and carry it out if they agree.
- Put in place measures that are reasonable and proportionate to help that resident evacuate safely.
- Try to agree the evacuation approach with the resident, record it in an emergency evacuation statement and give them a copy.
- With the resident's explicit consent, share a minimal set of information with the fire and rescue service: flat number, floor, a basic indication of the help needed and whether a statement exists. Medical details should not be shared.
- Prepare a building emergency evacuation plan, share it with the fire and rescue service and keep a copy in the secure information box where the building has one.
- Review the arrangements at least every 12 months, sooner if circumstances change or the resident asks.
Practical points
The information you hold is personal and often sensitive, so it needs to be handled carefully and kept to what is genuinely needed. The process works best when it is approached as a conversation with the resident, not a form-filling exercise.
This answer is general guidance on the law in England and is not a substitute for advice on your specific premises.