Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) Regulations 2025: What It Means If You Manage Residential Blocks

Most of our clients are schools, community venues and commercial sites — but several of you also hold or advise on residential property, whether that's a mixed-use site, staff accommodation, or a converted building with flats above commercial space. If that's you, there's a regulation that came into force earlier this year that's easy to miss because it doesn't sit alongside the school-focused changes we usually cover.

What it is

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. They apply to high-rise residential buildings and certain other residential buildings across England, and they introduce a requirement for person-centred fire risk assessments.

What's required

Responsible Persons — building owners, managing agents or landlords — must take reasonable steps to identify residents who would need help evacuating in a fire, and put in place evacuation arrangements based on their individual circumstances. Importantly, the fire and rescue service does not create these plans for you: that responsibility sits entirely with whoever holds the Responsible Person role for the building.

Does this apply to you?

This is narrower in scope than most of what we cover — it's specifically about residential buildings, not schools or commercial premises in general use. If you don't manage or advise on any residential accommodation, this one isn't for you. If you do — even a small block, converted premises with flats, or staff housing tied to a larger site — it's worth checking where your building sits against the height and building-type thresholds in the Regulations.

What to do if it applies

1. Confirm whether your building falls within scope of the Regulations based on height and use, rather than assuming either way.
2. Identify residents who may need evacuation assistance — this needs a genuine, documented process, not an assumption that "we'd know."
3. Develop individual evacuation arrangements tailored to each person's circumstances, agreed with them where possible.
4. Fold this into your existing fire risk assessment and Golden Thread documentation rather than treating it as a standalone document.
5. Review and update arrangements when residents change or circumstances change — this isn't a one-off exercise.

If you'd like help working out whether a building you manage falls within scope, or want support putting person-centred evacuation arrangements in place, get in touch for a free 30-minute consultation.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. For a definitive view on whether your building falls within scope, consult the Regulations directly or a suitably qualified fire safety adviser.