Guidance for Residents
If you live in a high‑rise or higher‑risk residential building and would need extra help to get out safely in the event of a fire, new fire safety regulations are in place to better protect you.
These rules are designed to ensure that people who may find it harder to evacuate – for example due to mobility, sensory, cognitive or health needs – are properly considered in fire evacuation planning.
What is an RPEEP?
An RPEEP (Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) is a personal plan that explains:
- What assistance you may need in an emergency
- What arrangements are in place to support you
- What you should do if there is a fire in your building
RPEEPs are sometimes referred to in government guidance as Residential PEEPs.
From 6 April 2026, the Responsible Person for certain residential buildings must make reasonable arrangements to plan for the safe evacuation of residents who may not be able to self‑evacuate.
The regulations apply to residential buildings in England that:
- contain two or more domestic premises, and
are:
- 18 metres or more in height (or 7 or more storeys), or
- more than 11 metres in height and have a simultaneous evacuation strategy
Only residents who live in these buildings as their only or main home are in scope.
Your safety and your rights
If you live in a building covered by the regulations and may need support to evacuate, you have the right to:
- Tell your Responsible Person that you may need help in an emergency
- Have your needs considered and recorded as part of the building’s evacuation planning
- Expect reasonable and proportionate steps to be taken to plan for your safe evacuation
You do not have to share detailed medical information. The focus is on what help you may need, not on diagnoses or conditions.
Participation is voluntary – you cannot be forced to have an RPEEP, and your information cannot be shared without your consent.
What you should do
- Contact your Responsible Person
If you think you may need help to evacuate safely, contact the Responsible Person for your building. This might be:
- Your landlord
- A managing agent
- A housing provider
- The building owner
2. Share relevant information
You can explain, in simple terms, what might make it difficult for you to leave the building quickly or safely in a fire, and what assistance could help.
3. Ask how your information will be used
Your Responsible Person should be able to tell you:
- What evacuation arrangements are in place
- How your information will be stored securely
- How often your evacuation plan will be reviewed
4. Keep your details up to date
If your circumstances change, tell your Responsible Person so your evacuation arrangements can be reviewed and kept accurate.
Who is the Responsible Person?
The Responsible Person is legally responsible for fire safety in your building. Under the new regulations, they are responsible for:
- Identifying residents who may need evacuation support
- Assessing evacuation needs (with your agreement)
- Putting appropriate evacuation arrangements in place
- Sharing limited information with the Fire and Rescue Service only with your consent
Guidance for Responsible Persons
Some residents may find it difficult to evacuate a building on their own in the event of a fire. Where this is the case, the law requires Responsible Persons to take reasonable steps to understand those needs and plan appropriately.
Your responsibilities
If your building is covered by the regulations, you must:
- Take reasonable steps to identify residents who may need help to evacuate safely
- Offer those residents a person centred fire risk assessment, focused on their individual evacuation needs
- Agree an emergency evacuation statement with the resident, where they choose to take part
- Keep records up to date and review arrangements regularly
Residents are not required to have an RPEEP and may choose not to take part.
Sharing information with the Fire and Rescue Service
If a resident gives their explicit consent, you must share limited evacuation information with the Fire and Rescue Service to help firefighters respond safely and effectively in an emergency.
This information is strictly limited and includes:
- The resident’s flat number
- The floor the flat is on
- A basic indication of whether assistance may be needed
- Whether an emergency evacuation statement is in place
No medical details or personal background information should be shared. The information must be kept secure and available to firefighters during an incident, usually in the building’s secure information box.
Consent and data protection
Information must only be shared where the resident has clearly agreed. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. All personal information must be handled in line with data protection law.
Why this matters
Sharing this information, with consent, helps firefighters:
- Locate residents quickly
- Make safer operational decisions
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service – our role
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service:
- Does not create or assess RPEEPs for residents
- Does not hold personal evacuation plans directly from residents cannot request an RPEEP from you and
RPEEPs must be created and managed by the Responsible Person for your building.
If a resident has given their clear permission, the Responsible Person must share key evacuation information with the Fire and Rescue Service to help firefighters respond safely in an emergency. This information includes details such as the flat number, floor number, and where the resident is located in the building.
Please do not contact Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service to request an RPEEP. If you believe you need help to evacuate safely, your first point of contact should always be the Responsible Person for your building.
Further information
National guidance for Responsible Persons is available from the UK Government: Residential PEEPs: Guidance for Responsible Persons