Applying to register a high-rise residential building
How principal accountable persons, or someone authorised to act for them, can register a high-rise residential building in England.
Applies to England
Check if you need to register a building
A high-rise residential building contains one or more high-rise residential structures. A high-rise residential structure has:
- at least 7 floors or is at least 18 metres in height
- at least 2 residential units
You may need to apply to register 2 or more structures as one building if they’re connected in certain ways.
Use the independent section criteria on each structure to help you decide if the structures are connected in one of those ways.
The building must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before people live there. These buildings are known as higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022.
Types of buildings you do not need to register
Do not register buildings that are entirely used as a:
- hospital
- care home
- secure residential institution
- hotel
- military premises
- prison
Read the full guidance on buildings that need to be registered.
Check who can register the building
The principal accountable person (PAP) must make sure the building is registered.
A PAP is usually an organisation like a:
- housing association
- local authority
- company
Someone from the organisation must be the single point of contact (SPOC) for BSR. The SPOC will:
- discuss building safety issues with the regulator
- have authority relating to the safety of the building
SPOCs cannot be the PAP or an accountable person (AP). The organisation is the PAP.
In limited circumstances, an individual can be the PAP. For example, if they are:
- the owner of the building
- named on the leasehold as responsible for maintenance of common parts
Authorising someone else to register
The PAP can authorise someone else to register the building for them. For example, they can authorise a managing agent or legal representative.
The authorisation must be in writing like an email, letter or written contract. Authorising someone to act for you does not make them the PAP.
A PAP is usually an organisation. You do not have to authorise individual employees of that organisation.
Register the building
It is an offence to allow residents to occupy an unregistered high-rise residential building.
New buildings must have a relevant completion certificate or final certificate. They must be registered before residents can occupy them.
You can apply to register a high-rise residential building online.
You will need:
- the building’s name, address and postcode
- a building summary, including height in metres, number of floors and residential units, and date of completion
- the names and contact details of the PAP and APs
You’ll also need a credit or debit card to pay the £251 application fee for each building.
If you cannot pay by card, you may be able to pay by invoice. You must pay the invoice before BSR can assess your application. If you do not pay within 30 days of the invoice, BSR may reject your application.
Building summary
As part of the application to register a high-rise residential building you need to give BSR a summary of the building.
Number of floors at or above ground level
Count all floors from ground level to the top floor, whether they have residential units or not.
If all of a ceiling is at or above ground level, count the floor as above ground level.
Count mezzanine floors that are 50% or more of the area of other floors as separate floors. If a mezzanine floor is less than 50% of the area of any of the other floors, do not count it as a floor.
Do not count:
- floors below ground level unless all the ceiling is above ground level
- the roof
Ground level
Ground level is the level of the land immediately next to the building. If that land is uneven, it is the lowest part of the land immediately next to the building. All or part of a ceiling below that level is below ground level.
Top floor
The top floor is the top of the floor surface of the top storey of the building. Ignore the roof.
Height of the building
Measure the height in metres (up to 2 decimal places) from ground level to the top floor. Do not measure the roof.
You can estimate the height if the building:
- has at least 7 floors
- is clearly over 18 metres
Keep a record of how you estimated the height.
Number of residential units
Count all residential units, whether someone is living in them or not. A residential unit is a place where someone can live, like a flat, apartment, maisonette or a room in student accommodation.
When the building was completed
Tell BSR the year the building was originally built. If you do not know the exact year, you can select from a range.
For buildings completed in 2023 or later, you must tell BSR the:
- name of the building control body that issued the completion certificate or final certificate
- certificate number
- certificate date
For buildings completed between 1985 and 30 September 2023, you should take reasonable steps to find this information.
For buildings completed before 1985, you do not need to give this information.
For buildings completed on or after 1 October 2023, you must also upload a copy of the relevant completion or final certificate. You will not need to upload a copy of the certificate if it was issued by the Building Safety Regulator.
Structure and fire safety information
You need to give BSR information about the building’s structure and fire safety, this is also known as key building information. BSR will ask you about:
- fire and smoke controls
- energy supplies, storage and generation
- type of structure, roof, staircases and external walls
- the building’s use
- building work since original build
- connections between structures or to other buildings
You should be able to get the information needed from the most recent fire risk assessment. If there’s an external wall system (EWS) appraisal, the information might also be there meaning you should not need to do a full separate survey.
You have 28 days after submitting your registration application to give BSR more detailed information about the structure and fire safety of the building. The information you give here will help you when you assess the building’s risks, as part of your safety case report.
Read the Building Safety Regulator: giving us information about structure and safety (key building information) guide to help you understand:
- what structure and safety information BSR will ask for
- how you might find it
Making changes to your application: before you submit it
You can make a change in your application at any stage before submitting it.
Withdraw an application
You can withdraw an application to register a building. You cannot withdraw an application after BSR has made a decision about it.
Contact BSR if you need help.
Decisions
BSR will assess your application and make a decision:
- to register the high-rise residential building
- reject your application – BSR will set out the reasons why
The reasons BSR might reject your application include:
- you have not paid the fee
- the building you’re applying to register is not a high-rise residential building
- you have not given BSR the information needed
Reviews
If you disagree with the decision about your registration, you can ask BSR to look at the decision again.
You must ask for this review within 21 days of the decision (excluding public holidays).
A review costs £288. You must pay this before BSR carry out the review.
If you cannot pay by credit or debit card, you may be able to pay by invoice. You must pay the invoice before BSR carries out the review.
When you ask for a review, you need to include the following information:
- your name
- an address in England and Wales that BSR can serve notices to (including notices in proceedings)
- your email address
- your telephone number
- if you’re authorising someone else to act for you, their name and address
- the name, address and postcode of the building the decision is about
- a way to identify the decision being reviewed, like the application reference
- your reasons for asking for the review
You should also tell BSR about any new information relevant to the original decision.
You must also confirm that you have told any other APs that you have asked for a review.
Contact BSR if you want to ask for a review. You cannot ask for a review over the telephone.
Making changes: after a building is registered
Once your building is registered, you must tell BSR within 14 days of becoming aware of changes to the:
- building summary
- PAP
- APs
- parts of the building each AP or the PAP is accountable for
Changing a user
The person who completes the application is known as the primary user.
As the primary user you can:
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access the register a high-rise building service to manage the building information
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change the primary user
You will need your email address and application reference number to do this.
Adding a user
The primary user can add a second user to manage the building’s information.
You will need your email address and application reference number to do this.
The second user cannot add or change any users.
Taking a building off the register
You can ask BSR to take a building off the register if any of the following apply:
- it now has less than 7 floors and are less than 18 metres in height
- it now has less than 2 residential units
- it was incorrectly registered
- everyone has permanently moved out of the building, for example pending demolition
You do not need to tell BSR if your building is student accommodation that is empty over a holiday period.
If there are multiple APs for the building, BSR will send them a copy of its decision to remove the building.
Where an AP disagrees with this decision, they can ask BSR for a review.
Updates to this page
Published 12 April 2023Last updated 16 April 2024 + show all updates
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Warning note added to structure and fire safety section telling users they have 28 days following submission to give further detailed information to BSR
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New section on taking a building off the higher-risk register.
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Updated information about: - making changes to your application - the cost of a review (£288) - managing your information - how to change and add a user for the service
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Update to the 'Building summary' section on where the ground level is.
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Deadline dates in the 'register a building section' removed. 'When the building was completed' section updated to explain which buildings require certain information to be submitted for registration. 'Reviews' section updated to explain how public holidays affect the review period. 'Number of floors at or above ground level' section updated to explain where you should count the number of floors from.
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Added information about the alternative payment option for those who cannot pay the application fee by credit or debit card.
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New guidance added to ‘check if you need to register a building’ section to help you decide if the building structures are connected. An example of when a principle accountable person is usually an organisation added to ‘check who can register the building’ section. New guidance added to ‘making changes’ section, which now asks you to tell the Building Safety Regulator of detailed changes. Contact the Building Safety Regulator if you need to 'withdraw an application' section. New heading added 'decisions' which includes reasons why the Building Safety Regulator might reject your application. New guidance added to ‘reviews’ section to tell you that you cannot ask for a review over the telephone.
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Added a link to the full guidance on buildings that need to be registered. Clarified that only high-rise residential buildings in England need to be registered.
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Added more guidance on building structure and safety information (key building information) and provided a link to a guidance publication
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First published.