Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs)

From 6 April 2026, new regulations come into force in England to help improve the safety of residents who may need support to evacuate their building in the event of a fire.

These changes are known as the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025. They introduce a new process called Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs).

This page explains what RPEEPs are, who they apply to, and what residents can expect. This page provides general information and should not be taken as legal advice.

What is changing?

The new regulations require the Responsible Person for certain residential buildings (usually the building owner, landlord or managing agent) to:

make reasonable endeavours to identify residents who may struggle to evacuate without assistance during a fire
offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment
work with the resident (if they choose) to agree a simple emergency evacuation statement (the resident should still phone 999 in an emergency)
put in place reasonable and proportionate measures to support their safety
prepare a building wide emergency evacuation plan
share a small amount of essential information with the fire and rescue service – but only if the resident gives explicit consent

These changes apply from 6 April 2026.

Why are these changes being introduced?

After the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Government committed to improving evacuation arrangements for people whose ability to evacuate without assistance may be affected.

The aim of the new rules is to ensure residents who would need assistance to evacuate are identified, considered, and supported in a practical way.

Which buildings are covered?

The new duties apply to residential buildings in England that are:

18 metres or seven storeys above ground level or higher, or
over 11 metres above ground level where a simultaneous evacuation strategy is in place (meaning everyone should leave the building if there is a fire, even if you are not directly affected by the smoke from the fire)

If you are unsure whether your building is included, your building owner or manager will be able to tell you.

Who is a “relevant resident”?

A relevant resident is someone who:

Lives in the building as their only or main home, and
Has a physical or cognitive impairment or condition that means they may be unable to leave the building without help during a fire

Examples might include:

reduced mobility
hearing or sight impairments
long-term health conditions
cognitive conditions affecting awareness or decision making

A resident can appoint a representative or trusted person to act on their behalf if needed. Further information can be found in the Government’s guidance for Responsible Persons, found here.

What residents can expect

If you are identified as someone who may need support, your building’s Responsible Person should:

Offer you a person-centred fire risk assessment

This is a conversation about:

any challenges you may face should you need to evacuate your building in an emergency
what arrangements might help improve your safety and help you evacuate your building quickly and safely in the event of a fire

You do not have to take part unless you want to.

Discuss possible measures

These will be reasonable and proportionate options based on the assessment. Who pays for any changes depends on what is considered reasonable in each case. A resident cannot be made to pay for a measure if they do not want to or cannot afford to.

Agree an emergency evacuation statement (if you wish)

This is a short, written explanation of what you should do if there is a fire. You decide whether to agree to it.

Share minimal information with the fire and rescue service – only if you consent

This includes only:

your flat number
your floor number
a basic indication of the assistance you might need
whether you have an evacuation statement

No medical or personal information is shared, and you may withdraw consent at any time.

Keep information up to date

Your assessment and arrangements should be reviewed by the Responsible Person at least every 12 months, or sooner if things change.

What the fire and rescue service does

Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service will:

receive the very limited information listed above – only with your explicit consent
only use this information to help them plan a safe and effective response if a fire in your building occurs (the resident should still phone 999)
keep your information secure and only use it to support the operational response to a fire

Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service does not:

carry out the resident assessments
create evacuation statements
hold medical details
decide what mitigation measures are reasonable
mediate disputes between residents and Responsible Persons

About building wide evacuation plans

Every building covered by the regulations must also have a building emergency evacuation plan, which is the responsibility of the Responsible Person.

This should include:

a copy of instructions to residents
whether there are relevant residents
any additional safety features in place (such as an evacuation alert system)

The plan must be shared with the fire and rescue service and reviewed every 12 months or sooner if needed.

Your choice, your consent

Residents’ participation in the RPEEP process is entirely voluntary. You decide:

whether to take part
whether to agree an evacuation statement
whether any information about you is shared with the fire and rescue service
whether to withdraw consent later

If your building meets the criteria for RPEEPs

If you have completed RPEEPs for any of your residents you should ensure that all information is available in your secure information box should the FRS require this during an evacuation.

You can also share this information by emailing the following:

External links

GOV.UK RPEEPs Guidance