Residential Evacuation Plans Are Now the Law: Property Managers Have 6 Days to Comply

From 6 April 2026, every "responsible person" managing a qualifying residential building in England must have a written Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (RPEEP) in place for every resident who needs one to evacuate safely. Fail to have them — and you could face criminal prosecution and an unlimited fine.

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 come into force in six days. Awareness among property managers, block management companies, housing associations, and build-to-rent operators is almost zero. If you manage residential buildings and haven't heard of RPEEPs yet, this guide is essential reading.

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What Is an RPEEP?

A Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (RPEEP) is a written, individual evacuation plan for a resident who, due to disability or vulnerability, cannot self-evacuate from a building in an emergency without assistance.

Each RPEEP must document:

• The resident's specific evacuation needs — mobility limitations, cognitive impairments, sensory disabilities, or any condition affecting their ability to evacuate
• The evacuation strategy — how they will be assisted and by whom (staff, carers, fire service Personal Evacuation Lift Protocol, etc.)
• Equipment required — evacuation chairs, refuges, communication devices
• Named contacts — who is responsible for assisting in an emergency
• Communication methods — how the resident will be alerted (visual/tactile alarms if they have hearing impairment, for example)

RPEEPs are not a one-size-fits-all document. Each plan is individual to the resident and must be agreed with them and anyone responsible for their care.

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Who Must Have RPEEPs?

The duty to prepare and maintain RPEEPs falls on the "responsible person" — defined in the Fire Safety Order 2005. In residential buildings, this is typically:

• Block management companies and freeholders
• Property management companies with management contracts
• Housing associations and registered social landlords
• Build-to-rent (BTR) operators
• Local authorities managing council housing
• HMO landlords (where applicable under the specific building thresholds)
• Care providers managing residential buildings with shared common areas

Which buildings are covered?

The regulations apply to:

1. High-rise residential buildings — 18 metres or more in height (7+ storeys)
2. Medium-rise residential buildings in certain categories — defined in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 as applying to buildings between 11m and 18m with specific risk features

If you are unsure whether your building falls within scope, the responsible person must assess this as part of their existing fire risk assessment obligations. The Building Safety Regulator publishes guidance for higher-risk buildings at hse.gov.uk/building-safety.

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The Criminal Liability: What Happens If You Don't Comply?

This is not a civil matter. Non-compliance with the RPEEP duty is a criminal offence under the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025.

Consequences of non-compliance:

• Criminal prosecution of the responsible person (which can mean the management company or named individuals)
• Unlimited fine — no cap on the penalty amount
• Enforcement notices from the local fire and rescue authority
• Prohibition notices preventing occupation of the building in extreme cases
• Personal liability for directors and managers of block management companies

Fire and rescue services have had enforcement powers under the Fire Safety Order since 2005. The RPEEP regulations extend those powers to cover the specific failure to prepare adequate personal evacuation plans.

Not sure if your property business is covered by this regulation? Take our free Compliance Score quiz — 20 questions, instant results: compliancealert.co.uk/compliance-score

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What You Need to Do Before 6 April 2026

Six days is a tight window, but it is workable if you act now. Here is a practical checklist:

Step 1: Identify All Qualifying Buildings

Review your property portfolio. For each building at 11m+ height, confirm whether it meets the threshold criteria. Document your assessment.

Step 2: Survey Residents with Potential Evacuation Needs

Write to all residents in qualifying buildings immediately. Ask them to self-identify if they have a disability, health condition, or any other factor that might affect their ability to evacuate independently. Be inclusive — the survey should cover mobility, cognitive, sensory, and mental health conditions.

Many residents will not self-identify even if they have relevant needs. Consider speaking directly with residents you already know have vulnerabilities.

Step 3: Prepare Individual RPEEPs

For each resident who identifies evacuation needs, arrange a meeting (or call) to document their specific plan. The plan should be:

• Written and signed by the resident (or their representative)
• Shared with the relevant emergency services (the local fire and rescue authority)
• Kept on-site in an accessible location (often the building's fire information box)
• Reviewed annually and after any change to the resident's circumstances

Step 4: Update Your Fire Risk Assessment

The fire risk assessment for the building must be updated to reference the RPEEPs and the overall evacuation strategy for residents with needs.

Step 5: Train Your Staff

Anyone responsible for managing the building must know what RPEEPs exist, where they are stored, and what role they play in an emergency evacuation.

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How ComplianceAlert Helps Property Managers

The RPEEP regulations are a good example of why manual compliance monitoring fails. This legislation was made in 2025, comes into force April 2026 — and yet the vast majority of property managers we speak to have never heard of it until it's days away.

ComplianceAlert Pro monitors:

• Building Safety Regulator guidance and enforcement notices
• HSE fire safety updates
• DCLG and MHCLG housing safety legislation
• Fire and rescue authority enforcement trends
• All changes to the Fire Safety Order and associated regulations

When something like RPEEP is coming, you get an alert — plain English, no jargon — with enough time to actually act on it.

What you get with ComplianceAlert:

• Real-time regulatory alerts across all sectors
• Plain-English summaries written for business owners, not lawyers
• 33+ compliance document templates (including fire safety)
• 7-day free trial — no credit card required

Start monitoring your compliance obligations today: compliancealert.co.uk — 7-day free trial, no credit card.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does this apply to private landlords? It depends on the building. Private landlords of individual flats in high-rise or qualifying medium-rise buildings are the "responsible person" for their individual unit's common areas unless a management company holds that responsibility. Block managers typically hold the duty for common areas.

What if a resident refuses to engage? Document the attempt. The regulations require you to make reasonable efforts. If a resident refuses to provide information, note this in writing and review your overall evacuation strategy to cover the possibility of an unknown evacuee with needs.

Does this apply in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland? No. The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 apply in England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have separate fire safety legislation, though similar duties may apply under different regulations.

Who enforces this? Local fire and rescue authorities are the primary enforcement body. The Building Safety Regulator has oversight of higher-risk buildings (18m+).

Is there a template RPEEP form? The government has published guidance with suggested formats. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) also publishes recommended templates. ComplianceAlert's document library includes fire safety templates as part of the Pro plan.

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TL;DR — Key Takeaways

• 6 April 2026: Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 come into force
• Who must comply: Responsible persons for high-rise (18m+) and certain medium-rise residential buildings in England
• What's required: Individual written RPEEP for every resident with evacuation needs
• Consequence of failure: Criminal offence — prosecution and unlimited fine
• Action now: Survey residents, document plans, update fire risk assessments, train staff
• ComplianceAlert Pro monitors Building Safety Regulator and fire safety updates — 7-day free trial: compliancealert.co.uk

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