Why resident engagement is a legal requirement

The Building Safety Act 2022 creates a legal duty for the Principal Accountable Person (PAP) to prepare a residents' engagement strategy for every occupied higher-risk building. This is not optional guidance - it is a mandatory requirement under Section 91 of the Act.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry found that residents' concerns about fire safety were repeatedly ignored. The resident engagement requirements in the Building Safety Act are a direct response to this failure. The law now requires building managers to actively involve residents in building safety decisions and respond to their concerns.

This guide explains what your engagement strategy must contain, how to implement it, and how to handle resident information requests and complaints.

What your engagement strategy must contain

The residents' engagement strategy must set out how the Principal Accountable Person will:

Promote participation of residents in building safety decisions
Provide information to residents about building safety risks and the measures being taken
Enable requests for building safety information from residents
Handle complaints about building safety matters
Consult residents about decisions affecting building safety
Provide feedback on actions taken in response to resident concerns

The strategy must be proportionate to the number of residents and the building's safety profile. A building with 200 flats will need more extensive engagement mechanisms than one with 20.

Practical components of an effective strategy

Communication channels: How you will communicate with residents (noticeboard, email, dedicated portal, resident meetings)
Information provision: What building safety information you will proactively share and how often
Request process: How residents can request specific building safety information and your response timescales
Complaints procedure: How residents can raise safety concerns, who handles them, and how they are escalated
Consultation method: How you will consult residents before making significant building safety decisions
Accessibility: How you will ensure all residents can engage, including those with disabilities, limited English, or other access needs

Resident information rights

Residents of higher-risk buildings have statutory rights to request building safety information from the Accountable Person. These rights go beyond general transparency - they are legally enforceable.

What residents can request

Residents can ask for information about:

Building safety risks identified in the safety case report
Steps being taken to manage those risks
Fire safety strategy and evacuation procedures
Who the Accountable Persons are and how to contact them
Results of inspections and assessments
Maintenance schedules for safety-critical systems

How to handle requests

Respond to requests as soon as reasonably practicable - the statutory standard. Responding within 28 days is good practice for straightforward requests
Provide information in accessible formats
If you cannot provide specific information (for security reasons, GDPR constraints, or because it does not exist), explain why
Keep records of all requests received and your responses as part of the golden thread

Handling resident complaints

Your engagement strategy must include a clear complaints procedure for building safety matters. This is separate from general property management complaints - it specifically covers safety concerns.

An effective complaints process should include

Clear reporting channels: How residents can raise safety concerns (phone, email, online form, in person)
Acknowledgement: Confirm receipt of the complaint within a specified timeframe
Assessment: Evaluate the safety concern and determine what action is needed
Response: Inform the resident of the outcome and any actions being taken
Escalation: If the resident is not satisfied, explain how they can escalate to the Building Safety Regulator
Records: Log all complaints and responses in the golden thread

Residents can escalate to the BSR: If a resident is not satisfied with how the Accountable Person has handled their safety concern, they can complain directly to the Building Safety Regulator. The BSR can investigate and take enforcement action if it finds the Accountable Person is not meeting their duties.

Distributing the strategy

The PAP must ensure the engagement strategy reaches all residents:

New residents: Provide a copy of the strategy when they move in
Existing residents: Distribute the strategy to all current residents and make it available on request
Accessible formats: Provide in formats that meet residents' needs (large print, translations, digital copies)
Display: Consider displaying key elements (such as how to report safety concerns) in common areas

Ongoing review and update

The engagement strategy is not a one-time document. You must review and update it regularly:

Review at least annually
Update when circumstances change (new safety issues, changes to building management, resident feedback)
Consult residents about changes to the strategy itself
Document all reviews and updates in the golden thread

Penalties for non-compliance

Failure to prepare or implement a residents' engagement strategy can result in enforcement action from the Building Safety Regulator. This may include:

Compliance notices requiring you to prepare or improve the strategy
Improvement notices with specific deadlines
In serious cases, referral for prosecution

Ignoring resident safety complaints is particularly serious. The BSR takes a dim view of Accountable Persons who fail to engage with residents on safety matters - this was precisely the kind of behaviour that contributed to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

1

Draft your residents' engagement strategy

Create a written document covering all six required elements (participation, information, requests, complaints, consultation, feedback). Make it clear, practical, and proportionate to your building.
2

Set up communication channels

Establish the mechanisms through which residents can contact you about safety matters. This might include a dedicated email address, phone number, or online reporting form.
3

Distribute to all residents

Provide a copy to every current resident and set up processes to give copies to new residents when they move in.
4

Create a complaints procedure

Design a clear, documented process for handling safety complaints including timescales for acknowledgement, assessment, response, and escalation.
5

Train your team

Ensure managing agents, concierges, and other front-line staff understand the engagement strategy and know how to handle resident safety concerns.
6

Record engagement activities in the golden thread

Log all information requests, complaints, consultation activities, and responses in your golden thread records.

Resident engagement requirements for higher-risk buildings