New fire safety rules will come into force in England on 6 April 2026, introducing Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for qualifying residential buildings.
These duties are expected to affect multi-occupied residential properties that:
- reach 18 metres or more in height, or
- exceed 11 metres where a simultaneous evacuation policy is in place
Property owners and those with legal responsibility for building safety, including Responsible Persons, landlords, freeholders and managing agents will need to review their current fire safety arrangements for residents who may face challenges evacuating independently during a fire and to establish suitable evacuation planning measures.
The Government has published detailed guidance explaining the scope of the regulations and practical expectations. This can be accessed on Welcome to GOV.UK at the following link:
Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs)
If you need advice on how these changes may affect your property portfolio and what preparatory steps are sensible at this stage, please get in touch. Taking time to review responsibilities now will make the transition smoother and reduce the risk of last minute compliance pressures as the 2026 start date approaches.