Give residents their fire safety instructions

Regulation 9 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires the responsible person for a building with two or more sets of domestic premises to display fire safety instructions and give them to residents. It applies where the building has common parts through which residents would need to evacuate, whatever its height. It has applied since 23 January 2023, and residents include tenants as well as leaseholders.

What the instructions must cover

The instructions must be in a form residents can reasonably be expected to understand. They must include:

• the evacuation strategy for the building, such as stay put or simultaneous evacuation
• how to report a fire to the fire and rescue service, for example by calling 999 or 112 and giving the correct address
• any other instruction that tells residents what they must do once a fire has occurred

When to display and give them

A material change to the instructions can come from alterations to the building, for example.

Explain the evacuation strategy

The evacuation strategy is the most important part of the instructions, so state which one applies and what it means for residents.

Under a stay put policy, someone whose flat is on fire alerts others in the flat, leaves the building and calls the fire and rescue service. Anyone in the common parts when a fire starts there also leaves and calls. Other residents not directly affected stay in their flats unless the fire and rescue service tells them to leave. The policy does not stop anyone who wants to leave from doing so, and residents are told to leave at once if smoke or heat affects their home.

Under simultaneous evacuation, a communal alarm tells all residents to go to the assembly point when it sounds. Purpose-built blocks are not normally fitted with a detection and alarm system for this. Simultaneous evacuation is sometimes used in converted buildings where the compartmentation is not good enough for stay put.

Give fire door information on the same timetable

Regulation 10 separately requires information about fire doors. You can issue it in the same letter or notice, on the same timetable.

An example notice

This example suits a building with a stay put policy. Change it to match your own building. For simultaneous evacuation, replace the second paragraph with an instruction to go to the assembly point when the alarm sounds.

Make sure residents understand

The Regulations do not require translation into other languages, but you may translate if it helps your residents. Pictures and face-to-face conversations can also help residents who find written instructions hard to follow. Some fire and rescue services publish fire safety information in other languages that you can use. Keep a dated copy of what you issue and to whom, so you can show the fire and rescue service that you met the duty.

Residents who need help to leave

From 6 April 2026, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 add duties for buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises that are at least 18 metres high, have at least seven storeys, or are more than 11 metres high with a simultaneous evacuation strategy. You must offer a person-centred fire risk assessment to residents who cannot evacuate without help because of a cognitive or physical impairment, and prepare a building emergency evacuation plan. That plan must include the evacuation strategy instructions required by Regulation 9.

What happens if you do not comply

Failing to comply with Regulation 9 or 10 is an offence under Article 32 of the Order where the failure places one or more relevant persons at risk of death or serious injury in case of fire.