If you live in a high-rise residential building in England, the Building Safety Act 2022 gives you more than a right to be told about safety. Those responsible must have a strategy for involving you in decisions about it.
What a resident engagement strategy is
It is a written plan, prepared by the principal accountable person (PAP), that explains how residents will take part in building safety decisions. It covers people aged 16 or over who live in the building, and owners of residential units.
What it must include
- the safety decisions residents will be asked about, and the information they will receive
- any decisions residents will not be asked about, and why (emergency repairs are excluded)
- for multi-day works that block part of the building or disrupt residents, when they are planned and how disruption will be reduced
- how views will be collected, reviewed, acted on and fed back, including response times
- how different communication needs will be met, such as other languages or formats
- how participation will be measured and reviewed
Who gets a copy
The PAP gives the strategy to all accountable persons. Each of them must then distribute it to residents in their part of the building, in a suitable format, and provide a new version whenever it changes.
Residents and accountable persons must be consulted on the first version and on any change. The guidance says a consultation should last at least three weeks.
When it must be reviewed
- at least every two years
- after a mandatory occurrence report is submitted to the Building Safety Regulator
- after significant material alterations to the building
Each review must be recorded, even if nothing changes.
Making it work in practice
A good strategy is not long. It is specific enough for residents to know what will happen next. It should fit the building: a block of mostly owner-occupiers will need something different from one with many tenants or residents whose first language is not English.
Tenants matter here too. Leaseholders who let their flats may be the ones who receive formal letters, while the person living there is the one affected by the work. Notices in the building and a named contact can help close that gap.
If you have a complaint
The PAP must operate a complaints system for building safety. Complain to them first. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can take the matter to the Building Safety Regulator.
If you think there is an immediate danger, do not wait for a complaints process. Call 999 if there is a risk to life.
Your own responsibilities
The Act also places duties on residents. You must not act in a way that creates a significant building safety risk, or interfere with a relevant safety item such as a fire door closer. You must also comply with reasonable requests for information. An accountable person can issue a contravention notice if these duties are not met.
This guide is general information for England at 1 November 2026, not legal advice. Your lease and your building's circumstances may change how it applies to you, and the law may change after this date.