Residential PEEPs: evacuation plans for residents who need help

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. They require responsible persons for certain blocks of flats to support residents whose ability to evacuate is affected by a physical or cognitive impairment. This guide explains which buildings are covered, the steps you must take, and the records to keep.

Which buildings the rules apply to

The regulations apply to buildings in England with two or more flats that are:

• at least 18 metres high, or have at least 7 storeys; or
• more than 11 metres high and have a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

A stay put building under 18 metres and under 7 storeys isn't covered by these regulations, although your general duties under the Fire Safety Order still apply.

The steps you must take

1. Identify residents who may need help. You must use reasonable endeavours to identify residents whose ability to evacuate without help is affected by a physical or cognitive impairment. The government's guidance suggests asking when a new resident moves in, every 12 months as a reminder to all residents, and whenever someone gets in touch.
2. Offer a person-centred fire risk assessment. This is a conversation with the resident about the risks they face in a fire and how they could be reduced. The guidance says there's no requirement to use a specialist, and many responsible persons use their own staff.
3. Discuss measures to reduce the risk. Measures must be reasonable and proportionate. Depending on the measure, the cost may fall on the responsible person, on all residents where most of them benefit, or on the individual resident.
4. Agree an emergency evacuation statement. This is a short, clear written statement of what the resident has agreed to do if there's a fire.
5. Share basic information with the fire and rescue service, with the resident's explicit agreement: their flat number, floor, the degree of help they need, and whether they have an emergency evacuation statement. No medical information is shared. You can share it electronically or keep it in the building's secure information box.
6. Review the arrangements no later than 12 months after the statement is first recorded, then at least every 12 months, and sooner if circumstances change or the resident asks.
7. Prepare a building emergency evacuation plan and give it to the fire and rescue service. It includes a copy of the fire safety instructions you give residents under Regulation 9, whether there are residents who need help to evacuate, and information about other evacuation arrangements.

Residents' choices

Taking part is the resident's choice. They can't be made to take part, and they can withdraw their consent to share information, or to take part in the assessment, at any time. Record their decision either way.

What to record

• when and how you asked residents whether they need help to evacuate;
• each person-centred fire risk assessment, and the measures discussed and agreed;
• each emergency evacuation statement, and when it was reviewed;
• what information was shared with the fire and rescue service, and the resident's consent; and
• cases where a resident declined, or you couldn't make contact.

How this links to your resident fire safety information

Your yearly fire safety information is a natural time to remind residents to tell you if they may need help to evacuate. The fire safety instructions you give residents under Regulation 9 also form part of the building emergency evacuation plan, so they need to be accurate and up to date.

Resident Fire Safety writes your resident leaflet and "In case of fire" notice for your building's evacuation strategy, tracks when they're due for reissue, and keeps a flat-by-flat record of who received them.

£59 per building per year, whatever the number of flats. See pricing

For a summary you can keep, download our free fire safety guide for blocks of flats.

Sources: The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, Residential PEEPs: guidance for responsible persons, The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

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