From 6 April 2026, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 place a new statutory duty on responsible persons for specified residential buildings in England: identify every resident who cannot safely self-evacuate, assess their needs, and keep a documented plan current for as long as they live there. For buildings with dozens or hundreds of flats, tracking that by spreadsheet or paper file quickly becomes unmanageable and risks leaving a vulnerable resident without an up-to-date plan on the night it matters most. PEEP management software turns resident evacuation planning into a living, auditable record that fire and rescue services can be given instantly and that survives staff turnover without gaps. This page covers what the regulations actually require, where manual tracking breaks down, and how a connected system keeps every plan current — start a free trial to see it built for your buildings.
A missed evacuation plan review is now a compliance failure
The new regulations were written in direct response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's finding that 41% of disabled residents in the building died in the fire, and they apply from 6 April 2026. Responsible persons must identify relevant residents, carry out a person-centred fire risk assessment, and produce a written evacuation statement for each one — then keep it current for as long as that resident lives in the building.
Does your building fall inside the new duty?
The regulations apply to any residential building in England containing two or more sets of domestic premises that also meets a height or evacuation-strategy test. Getting the scope question right is the first compliance step, because the duty to identify and assess relevant residents only starts once a building is confirmed in scope.
| Building Type | Height or Storey Trigger | In Scope? |
|---|---|---|
| High-rise residential tower | 18m or above, or 7+ storeys | Yes — RPEEP duty applies |
| Mid-rise block, simultaneous evacuation | Over 11m with simultaneous strategy | Yes — RPEEP duty applies |
| Low-rise block, stay-put strategy | Under 11m, phased evacuation | No — outside current scope |
| Single dwelling / one household | Any height | No — needs two or more premises |
Tracking vulnerable residents on a spreadsheet is a live risk
A resident's needs can change after illness, surgery or a new mobility aid, and the regulations expect proactive re-engagement, not a one-off form filled in once. A static spreadsheet cannot flag when a review is due, cannot version-control an updated evacuation statement, and gives a fire and rescue service nothing useful to work from if they need the information at 3am.
No review reminders
A spreadsheet does not know a resident's needs were last reviewed eight months ago, so reviews quietly slip past their due date.
No secure resident consent trail
Consent and GDPR obligations are hard to evidence in a shared file with no access log showing who viewed or edited sensitive data.
Slow handover to fire services
Printing or emailing plans during an incident wastes minutes that a searchable digital record would save immediately.
See a resident evacuation plan built end to end
Book a 30-minute walkthrough and we will show how OxMaint takes a resident from identification through person-centred assessment to a shareable evacuation statement.
Five steps every responsible person now has to run
The government's guidance sets out a clear sequence for identifying and supporting relevant residents. Software should mirror this sequence exactly, not force a team to adapt the regulation to a generic form builder.
Identify relevant residents
Find residents whose only home is the building and whose ability to evacuate unassisted is compromised by a physical or cognitive condition.
Offer a person-centred assessment
Engage with the resident, on their terms, to understand their specific risk and what help they would need if there were a fire.
Produce a written statement
Turn the assessment into a documented plan or evacuation information sheet the resident and building team both understand.
Review on a set cycle
Reassess whenever circumstances change and on a regular schedule even if nothing has been reported, since needs evolve quietly.
One system for every resident, every building, every review
OxMaint gives responsible persons a single place to manage resident evacuation plans alongside the rest of a building's safety-critical records, so PEEP compliance is never a side project running in a different tool from everything else.
Automated review scheduling
Every plan carries its own review date, and the system flags upcoming and overdue reviews before they become a gap.
Secure, consent-aware records
Resident data sits behind role-based access with a full audit log, supporting the consent and data protection obligations in the regulations.
Instant fire service sharing
Building emergency evacuation plans and individual statements can be shared with the local fire and rescue authority in a standard, ready-to-use format.
Linked to building maintenance
Evacuation equipment such as refuge alarms and evac chairs sit on the same asset register as the plans that depend on them working.
Be ready well before 6 April 2026
Responsible persons who start now avoid the scramble of building an entire resident register in the weeks before the deadline lands.
PEEP management software — frequently asked questions
What is a residential PEEP?
It is a documented plan for a resident who cannot safely evacuate a building unassisted, setting out their needs and the support available if there is a fire. Start a free trial to build your first one.
Who counts as the responsible person?
Usually the building owner, managing agent, Residents Management Company or Right to Manage Company, as defined under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Do the regulations apply in Wales?
No. The Regulations apply to properties in England only, though similar duties may follow under separate Welsh legislation in future.
What if a resident does not want to take part?
Participation in the person-centred assessment is up to the resident, but the responsible person must still offer it and record that the offer was made.
Can OxMaint share plans directly with fire services?
Yes, plans and building evacuation statements can be exported in a shareable format for the local fire and rescue authority. Book a demo to see the workflow.
Give every resident a plan that stays current
OxMaint keeps resident evacuation plans, reviews and fire service sharing in one place, so responsible persons meet the 2026 duty without chasing spreadsheets.
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