A high-rise residential building (HRRB) has 2 or more homes and is at least 18 metres tall or has at least 7 storeys.
Living in a high-rise residential building
See our high-rise living leaflet below for advice on:
- access to lifts and stairs in the event of a fire
- firefighting equipment
- your evacuation plan
- protecting your home (or workplace)
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can also arrange for a free Safe and Well Visit carried out by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS).
Managing a high-rise residential building
If you own or manage an HRRB, then you have legal fire safety duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended). You can find information at fire safety advice for businesses and via the resources at fire safety: guidance for those with legal duties.
For further advice on buildings within West Sussex you can contact Business Fire Safety.
Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs/ RPEEPs)
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 comes in to force on 6 April 2026.
The regulations apply to:
- all high-rise residential buildings containing 2 or more sets of domestic dwellings (multi-residential), that are at least 18 metres above ground level, or have at least 7 storeys
- all multi-residential buildings more than 11 metres in height above ground level (typically a building height of 5 storeys or more) that have a simultaneous evacuation strategy in place
This legislation requires responsible persons for in‑scope buildings to carry out the following actions:
- identify residents whose only or main home is in the building and who cannot evacuate without help because of a condition or impairment
- carry out a person‑centred fire risk assessment with each resident so you understand their specific risks and can identify how to improve their fire safety and evacuation
- complete an emergency evacuation statement that explains what the resident should do if there is a fire, including why they must give this information to Fire Control if they make an emergency call
- inform the Fire and Rescue Service if any resident in the building has a Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (RPEEP)
- review this information regularly to keep it up to date and continue assessing residents who may need evacuation support
RPEEP ‘Prescribed information’
The responsible person must make the following information available for the Fire and Rescue Service to use during a relevant incident:
- the resident’s flat number
- the resident’s floor number
- basic information about the level of help the resident may need to evacuate
- whether the resident has an emergency evacuation statement
Informing West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
WSFRS will not accept the prescribed information set out in the regulations in a digital format.
WSFRS requires every responsible person with residents who have an RPEEP to store the prescribed information in a Secure Information Box (SIB) at the building. You must keep this information up to date at all times, including when residents move out or new residents move in.
High‑rise residential buildings already must have a Secure Information Box under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. You can read more on our Secure information box page.
The responsible person must also tell WSFRS if any residents in the building have an RPEEP. You can do this by completing the form below.
RPEEP notification form (external link)You can find more information relating to your duties as the responsible person for an in-scope building on GOV.UK.