On Friday 4 July 2025, the UK government introduced the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, which will take effect on 6 April 2026 in England. These regulations require those responsible for residential buildings, typically building owners or managers, to implement legally binding evacuation measures for residents who may have difficulty self-evacuating during a fire.
This framework responds directly to recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, addressing identified gaps in fire safety plans for residents at risk of harm.
Who and what is in scope?
The regulations apply to residential buildings with two or more domestic units that are:
– At least 18 metres tall or seven storeys, or
– Over 11 metres and employing a simultaneous evacuation strategy.
A “simultaneous evacuation strategy” means all residents must evacuate in a fire, rather than remaining in place if unaffected.
The focus is on “relevant residents”, those whose physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments mean they cannot self-evacuate safely.
Key duties that will come into effect are as follows:
- Identification of vulnerable residents
Dutyholders must make reasonable efforts to identify and engage with residents who may require evacuation assistance. - Person-centred fire risk assessment
If requested, a tailored fire risk assessment must be carried out, covering the physical layout of the building, the individual needs of the resident and the evacuation capabilities. - Emergency evacuation statements
Produce written evacuation plans following the assessment and in agreement with the resident, detailing what the resident should do in the event of a fire. - Information sharing with fire and rescue services
Gain explicit consent from the resident to share limited key details, such as flat number, evacuation needs and presence of a plan with Fire and Rescue Services via a secure information box or electronically. - Building-wide evacuation plan
Create a building-wide evacuation plan which is to be reviewed, updated and shared annually with the Fire and Rescue Service and placed in the secure information box. - Annual review
Both person-centred assessments and the building-wide evacuation plan must be reviewed every year or sooner if circumstances change. - Data ProtectionComply with the Data Protection Act and UK GDPR when handling sensitive information.
Failure to comply with these duties could result in enforcement action by the Fire and Rescue Authorities.
Potential Limitations
Concern has been raised that the regulations do not go far enough by effectively placing the burden on individuals at risk of harm to engage with dutyholders to request a risk assessment be carried out. Reasonable endeavours to identify such residents may not prove to be sufficiently robust to ensure compliance of some dutyholders, and the lack of detail contained within the regulations on how to carry out the assessments for residents at risk and, in turn, prepare an emergency statement could result in an inconsistent approach. That said, the measures mark a critical step in protecting those most at risk during a fire in multifamily residential buildings, and those who fail to comply will risk the implementation of regulatory sanctions.
Action to take now:
Ahead of April 2026, dutyholders should take proactive steps to implement the requirements of the regulations as follows:
- Map the building(s) in scope and identify potential residents at risk,
- Design a compliant fire risk assessment process tailored to individuals,
- Draft template evacuation statements and building-wide plans,
- Install or update secure information boxes and consent procedures,
- Train staff in data protection and plan implementation of the new duties, and
- Engage with statutory guidance and pilot programmes such as the Responsible Person Toolkit, which can be found here.
Contact Us
If you would like assistance with fire safety compliance, contact our team to discuss how Harold and McCormack Law can support you.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. Please contact us for specific advice on your circumstances.