Residential personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) in England

Regulations on residential personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) will come into force in England on 6 April 2026. They are intended to ensure that people living in high-rise buildings with reduced ability to evacuate themselves, including people with disabilities, can escape in the event of a fire.  

The new regulations apply to high-rise residential buildings; separate regulations cover PEEPs in workplaces.  

Why are PEEPs being introduced for high-rise residential buildings? 

The regulations address recommendations in the Phase 1 Report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (PDF, October 2019) that PEEPs be implemented in high-rise residential buildings. The inquiry was established following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which resulted in the deaths of 72 people. Of the 37 disabled residents living in Grenfell Tower, 15 lost their lives. Disability Rights UK, an advocacy group, has highlighted that this means 41% of disabled people who lived in the tower died in the fire. 

Workplace PEEPs have been in place since 2005, but residential buildings have not had statutory PEEPs before. The government consulted twice on evacuation procedures for residential buildings: the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans consultation (2021) and the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus (EEIS+) consultation (2022). In its response to the latest consultation (December 2024), the government noted there was “widespread support among stakeholders” for measures to support the evacuation of residents and proposed legislation to introduce residential PEEPs. 

Disability Rights UK initially “warmly welcomed” the government’s proposals but subsequently stated that the proposed residential PEEPs “are no way near” the level of evacuation plan that many disabled people will require. Similarly, Inclusion London, another disability advocacy group, stated that the new regulations are “weak” and “are not a way to ensure all Disabled people can escape safely” in a fire. 

Which buildings will require PEEPs? 

The regulations apply to any building that contains two or more sets of domestic premises and is: 

• at least 18 metres or seven storeys high, or 

• more than 11 metres high and has a simultaneous evacuation strategy. 

Which residents will require PEEPs? 

The regulations say that PEEPs are required for ‘relevant residents’. This is a person: 

• whose home in the building is their only or principal residence, and 

• whose ability to evacuate the building without assistance in the event of a fire is compromised because of a physical or cognitive impairment or condition. 

The government’s guidance on the regulations provides examples of physical and cognitive impairments and conditions.  

Who will have to prepare PEEPs for residents? 

The ‘responsible person’ for the building, as defined by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, is responsible for preparing PEEPs. The responsible person is typically the “building owner or manager, landlord, Residents Management Company or Right to Manage Company”. 

The regulations say that the responsible person must: 

• Identify relevant residents who require a PEEP 

• Offer to carry out a person-centred fire risk assessment (PCFRA) for every relevant resident and ensure that a PCFRA is carried out if they request one 

• Implement “mitigating measures” that are “reasonable and proportionate” to enable the relevant resident to evacuate the building safely 

• Agree with the relevant resident how they will evacuate the building safely in the event of a fire, record the approach in an emergency evacuation statement and share a copy of this statement with the relevant resident 

• Review the PCFRA, the emergency evacuation statement and the mitigating measures every twelve months, and when they or the relevant resident believe a review is necessary.  

The responsible person must also provide specific information about relevant residents to the local fire and rescue authority, with the consent of the relevant residents. The government recommends that a responsible person should explain to a relevant resident that, if they do not consent for their information to be shared with the local fire and rescue authority, this does not mean that they will not be rescued. It means that the fire and rescue authority may not have access to information about their specific evacuation needs.  

Can someone else act on behalf of a resident to help prepare the PEEP? 

Yes. A ‘representative’ can act on behalf of a relevant resident if the resident is under 18 years old or has a cognitive impairment or condition that prevents them engaging with the PEEP process. A relevant resident may also appoint a ‘trusted person’ to engage on their behalf.  

What are the duties of local fire and rescue authorities? 

Responsible persons must provide specific information to local fire and rescue authorities. Government guidance states that a local fire and rescue authority can request additional information about relevant residents from the responsible person where this would inform the operational response to a fire. However, the responsible person is not legally obliged to share information further to that set out in the regulations. 

The government’s guidance factsheet states that there is “no expectation” that local fire and rescue authorities would “arbitrate in any disagreement” between responsible persons and relevant residents in the residential PEEP process. 

Who will pay the costs of PEEPs? 

The responsible person determines who pays the costs of ‘mitigating measures’ implemented as the result of a residential PEEP. Options include: 

• The responsible person pays, if they consider it reasonable and proportionate for them to pay. 

• The relevant resident pays, if they are the only person who will benefit from the measure. The responsible person should consider whether the relevant resident is eligible for means-tested Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) support, which may cover some of the capital costs. If the relevant resident refused to pay the costs, they would not be obliged to pay, and the responsible person would not be obliged to implement the mitigating measure.  

• All residents of the building pay only: 

• if the majority of the residents in the building will benefit from the mitigating measure 

• where leases permit the cost to be passed to residents 

• if the mitigating measure has been agreed to as the result of a PCFRA that has been conducted for a relevant resident, and 

• if the mitigating measure is new and not already required by other building safety legislation. 

• Residents can challenge costs applied through a variable service charge via the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) if they believe the costs are unreasonable or they shouldn’t be paying them.  

Social housing providers 

Government guidance notes that, if the responsible person is a social housing provider, they may be able to access funding through the Residential PEEPs Social Housing Fund. Social housing providers and housing associations supported by this fund should ensure that the costs of mitigating measures are not passed on to “social housing renters”. 

Further details about the Residential PEEPs Social Housing Fund have not been published. In a written statement in July 2025, the government stated that funding will be provided. 

What about evacuation for other residents? 

The regulations also require the responsible person to prepare a building emergency evacuation plan, which must contain instructions to residents on the evacuation strategy for the building in the event of a fire. The plan must be reviewed every twelve months, or when there is reason to believe that it needs amending. A copy of the plan must be provided to the local fire and rescue authority and a copy must be placed in the building’s secure information box. 

Further reforms 

The government plans to introduce primary legislation “as soon as possible” that will require a responsible person to consider fire safety risks inside a relevant resident’s domestic premises as part of the PCFRA.  

Further information 

House of Commons Library, Fire safety in houses and flats (2 May 2024) 

House of Commons Library, Fire safety rules for blocks of flats since the Grenfell Tower fire (England) (14 May 2024) 

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Guidance: Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs) (2 December 2025) 

About the author: Jack Clift is a researcher at the House of Commons Library specialising in building safety.