Register a higher-risk building with BSR

Why registration matters

Every occupied higher-risk building in England must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Registration is a legal requirement under the Building Safety Act 2022 - allowing residents to occupy an unregistered building is a criminal offence.

Registration is the first step in an ongoing compliance relationship with the BSR. Once registered, you must maintain accurate records, report changes, and comply with further obligations including preparing a safety case report and applying for a Building Assessment Certificate.

Does your building need to be registered?

Your building must be registered if it meets all of the following criteria:

• It is 18 metres or more in height OR has 7 or more storeys
• It contains at least 2 residential units
• It is in England
• It is occupied (or about to be occupied)

Height is measured from ground level to the top of the floor surface of the top storey (excluding roof-top plant rooms). Below-ground storeys are ignored for the storey count.

Who must register?

The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) must submit the registration application. This is typically:

• The freeholder (building owner)
• A management company with responsibility for the structure and exterior
• A resident management company or right to manage company that has acquired the freehold
• A housing association or local authority (for their housing stock)

If you are unsure whether you are the PAP, review who has the legal estate in possession of the structure and exterior of the building. That person is the PAP.

Registration deadlines

• Existing occupied buildings had to be registered by 30 September 2023, and occupying an unregistered building has been an offence since 1 October 2023. If you have not registered, do so straight away. Late registration is better than none, but you may face enforcement action for the period you were not compliant.
• A new building must be registered before anyone first occupies it, after it receives its Gateway 3 completion certificate. The Building Assessment Certificate is a separate, later certificate that the Principal Accountable Person applies for when the BSR directs.
• If an alteration makes a building higher-risk (for example, adding storeys), you must register it before the altered building is occupied.

How to register step by step

Information you must provide

In your initial application, give:

• Building name and address
• Height in metres and number of storeys
• Number of residential units
• Completion date (or approximate date if unknown)
• Principal Accountable Person name and contact details
• Details of all other Accountable Persons (if any)

Within 28 days of applying, give:

• Detailed structure and fire safety information
• Fire control systems installed
• Energy systems
• External wall construction and materials
• Any building modifications since original construction
• Structural connections between different parts

Failure to provide the detailed information within 28 days may result in enforcement action or registration being refused.

What happens after you register

Ongoing notification obligations

• Notify changes to the building summary information, the Principal Accountable Person or other Accountable Persons within 14 days.
• Report changes to building structure or fire safety information within 28 days.

Further duties triggered by registration

• Prepare a safety case report and submit it to the BSR as soon as reasonably practicable.
• Apply for a Building Assessment Certificate within 28 days of the BSR directing you to, so have your safety case ready before your building is called.
• Create and put in place a residents' engagement strategy straight away.
• Keep the golden thread of digital building information up to date.
• Report safety occurrences to the BSR under mandatory occurrence reporting.

If your registration is rejected

The BSR may reject your registration if the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or does not demonstrate that the building meets the higher-risk criteria. If rejected:

• You have 21 days to request a review of the decision
• The review fee is £312 (BSR charging scheme 2026 to 2027, from 8 April 2026)
• You must still register - resolve the issues and reapply

A rejection does not remove your duty to register. The building remains subject to all Building Safety Act requirements regardless of registration status.

Penalties for non-registration

The offences that apply to registration are:

• Allowing residents to occupy an unregistered higher-risk building is a criminal offence under Section 77
• Providing false or misleading information during registration carries penalties of unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment
• Failure to notify changes within the required timeframes may result in compliance notices from the BSR

The BSR has confirmed it will take enforcement action against buildings that remain unregistered. If you have not yet registered, act immediately.