Surrey Fire and Rescue Service warn that major changes are coming for those managing high rise homes with new fire safety rules coming into force soon.
From April 2026, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 will introduce new legal duties for building owners and managers, particularly those responsible for:
- Residential buildings 18m or seven or more storeys
- Buildings over 11m operating a simultaneous evacuation strategy
Driven by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the regulations focus on improving protection for residents who may struggle to self evacuate.
What Responsible Persons must do
Under the new rules, Responsible Persons will be required to:
- Identify residents needing evacuation support
- Complete Person Centred Fire Risk Assessments
- Produce personalised Emergency Evacuation Statements
- Create a building-wide Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Store plans in a Premises Information/Secure Information Box for fire crews
- Share key information with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (with consent)
What this means for your organisation
Residents will see clearer communication and stronger safety measures.
Building managers, owners, and agents will need to update processes, engage proactively with residents, and maintain accurate documentation, particularly for Premises Information/Secure Information Boxes.
Find out more
Visit Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s advice for residents and Responsible Persons webpages.
