Residential evacuation plans in England: what responsible persons must do in 2026

Which buildings are covered?

The Regulations apply in England only, to residential buildings that contain two or more sets of domestic premises and are either:

• at least 18 metres high or at least 7 storeys, or
• over 11 metres high and operating a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

GOV.UK: Residential PEEPs factsheet

What must the Responsible Person do?

1. Identify residents who may need help. Take reasonable steps to find residents who would have difficulty evacuating without assistance.
2. Offer a person-centred fire risk assessment. The assessment looks at the individual resident, not only the building.
3. Agree an emergency evacuation statement. Where a resident agrees, record how they would be helped to evacuate.
4. Review at least every 12 months. Also review when circumstances change.
5. Share information with the fire and rescue service, with consent. Resident information is shared only if the resident agrees.
6. Keep a building emergency evacuation plan. The plan sets out how the building will be evacuated.

GOV.UK: Residential PEEPs factsheet · SI 2025/797

Does this change fire warden training intervals?

No. The Regulations do not set a new refresher interval for fire wardens or fire marshals. They add duties about residents and evacuation planning. Staff who carry out these tasks still need to be competent, and the Responsible Person should decide what instruction and training they need. SI 2025/797

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