High-rise residential building information accountable persons must provide
Find out what information accountable persons must provide to different individuals and organisations and when to transfer it.
Applies to England
The accountable persons (APs) for a high-rise residential building must create and maintain documents for the building, or part of the building, they’re responsible for.
When an AP is also the principal accountable person (PAP), there are additional documents they must keep.
APs and the PAP must provide this information to other individuals and organisations.
A high-rise residential building has at least:
-
7 storeys or is at least 18 metres high
-
2 residential units
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.
How to keep information
APs must keep information:
- in an electronic format that’s safely transferrable without corruption
- accurate and secure
- clear to readers of the data
- accessible in response to a request to access it
- updated with a record of the person who makes a change and the date
APs must keep the information up to date and keep copies of the documents.
Relevant complaints information
The operating a complaints system guide sets out what information APs must keep about complaints and for how long.
Information APs must provide to other APs
If there’s more than one AP for a high-rise residential building, each AP must provide their golden thread information to all the other APs. An AP does not have to provide information they’ve been notified about and can access, with another AP.
Change of AP or PAP
When an AP or PAP stops being responsible for a building or any part of it, they must give the golden thread information they were responsible for to the new AP or PAP.
APs do not have to transfer information that is commercially sensitive, unless exceptions apply.
If APs or the PAP do not transfer the information, they can be prosecuted leading to a fine or a prison sentence of up to 2 years, or both.
Residents or owners of residential units: information APs must provide
APs must provide information to people living in residential units about preventing and reducing building safety risks. APs must take all reasonable steps to provide this information to owners of residential units.
Building safety risks involve structural failure of the building or the spread of fire, the information APs must provide include:
- a summary of the most recent fire risk assessment for each part of the building the AP is responsible for
- a summary of the safety case report
- how residents and owners of residential units can prevent and reduce the severity of incidents that happen in their residential unit
- how to report a building safety risk relating to their building, such as using the complaints system
- the location of any fire escape routes, fire doors and other aids such as fire and smoke alarms, emergency lighting, fire alarm activation devices
- a list of the fire and smoke control equipment for that building
- where the fire and smoke control equipment is located
- instructions for use of the fire and smoke control equipment by residents, where it is intended for use by residents
- evacuation information for the building
Information about individuals and organisations responsible for the safety of the building
The PAP must provide information to residents and owners of residential units about:
- the PAP for the building and any individual the PAP nominates to act on their behalf to communicate with residents
- any other APs for the building
- BSR
- the responsible persons (RPs) for the building under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the ‘Fire Safety Order’)
The information the PAP must provide to residents about these individuals and organisations includes:
- their role and duties in relation to the building
- how their responsibilities differ from each other
- their name, telephone number, email address and postal address
Information and documents relating to the rights of residents and owners of residential units
An AP must provide residents and owners of residential units:
- the latest resident engagement strategy
- information about the complaints system
- a list of the information and documents they must provide
- details of the information and documents a resident or an owner of a residential unit can request, including how they can make a request and why any request is declined
Relevant landlords: information APs must provide
Someone is a relevant landlord when both of the following apply:
- they are the owner of a residential unit in a high-rise residential building
- an AP for that building gives a contravention notice to any person residing in that residential unit
The AP should provide the relevant landlord with a copy of any contravention notice they issue to a person who resides in, but does not own, a residential unit.
Clients: information APs must provide
A client is an individual or an organisation that has building and design work carried out on their behalf.
This section applies to all clients who are not an AP for the building, and has notified in writing to the AP:
- that they are a client
- a brief description of the project including details of the parts of the high-rise residential building to which it relates
- their name, address, and email address if available
An AP for a high-rise residential building must provide the client with information relating to where the project’s taking place, in the parts of the building they’re responsible for.
The AP must provide a list identifying each structural safety measure in the building.
Fire safety management: client information
The AP must provide the client with copies of documents showing:
- risk assessment of fire safety, noting the general fire precautions that follow the Fire Safety Order
- how they manage the risk of fire spread in any part of the building
- the part of building specified by the client
- each fire safety management measure, and a record of where they are located
The AP must manage fire safety risks by giving the client the schedule of any maintenance and repairs that are planned in relation to any equipment, device or materials.
If an inspection takes place and produces a report, then the AP must give the client that report.
Structural risks
The AP must provide the most recent:
- statement or report assuring that an assessment of structural risks is not necessary
- statement, assessment or report evaluating the structural risks to the building
- details about each structural safety measure in the building
Plans: client information
The AP must give the client any plan of the current construction of the building.
Management of building safety risks
The AP must give the client the schedule of any maintenance and repairs that are planned in relation to any equipment, device or materials.
If an inspection takes place and produces a report, then the AP must give the client that report.
Building design
The AP must give the client any information recorded as part of the planning, design or construction of the building relating to designing the building. This information must include any:
- design code applied, as provided for in the National Planning Policy Framework
- British or international building standard followed in its construction
- description as to the intention of the design used in its construction
Security sensitive material exceptions: resident client information
A resident client is someone who is having building work carried out on the high-rise residential building they live in.
APs do not need to give resident clients any security sensitive information which are parts of documents:
- giving an assurance that an assessment of structural risks is not necessary
- evaluating the structural risks
Relevant RPs: information APs must provide
For the parts of the building they’re responsible for, each AP must provide certain information to each relevant RP.
A relevant RP is:
-
an RP for the building under the Fire Safety Order
-
not an AP for the building
Fire safety management: RP information
The AP must provide each RP with copies of documents showing:
- risk assessment of fire safety, noting the general fire precautions that follow the Fire Safety Order
- how they manage the risk of fire spread in any part of the high-rise residential building
Evacuation strategy: RP information
If a building has an evacuation strategy, for the parts of the building they’re responsible for, APs must provide each RP with the:
- evacuation strategy, such as ‘stay put’ or ‘simultaneous evacuation’
- evacuation information
The evacuation information must include:
- a description of the procedures to be followed and steps to be taken by people in the building
- a description of when and how people should evacuate the building
- information about any fire safety management measures helping people to evacuate the building
The PAP must provide each RP with the evacuation strategy and evacuation information for the whole building.
Plans: RP information
The AP must provide any plans relating to the construction of their parts of the building to the RP.
Safety case report: RP information
The PAP must provide the safety case report to each relevant RP.
Fire and rescue authority: information APs must provide
Each AP for the building must provide building safety information to the local fire and rescue authority.
Fire safety management: fire and rescue authority information
The AP must provide the local fire and rescue authority with information about:
- risk assessment of fire safety, noting the general fire precautions that follow the regulations
- how they manage the risk of fire spread in any part of the building
- key building information for the building given by the PAP to BSR
Where the AP is also an RP who has provided a secure information box for the building, they must provide the:
- name, address and contact number of the RP, and anyone else who can and is allowed to access the building
- name and contact information of anyone else within the UK the RP provides facilities to and has access to the building
Evacuation: fire and rescue authority information
If an evacuation strategy and information has been produced, the AP must provide it to the local fire and rescue authority.
If there is an evacuation strategy for the whole building, the PAP must provide the evacuation strategy and evacuation information.
Evacuation information must include:
- a description of the procedures to be followed and steps to be taken by people in the building
- a description of when and how people should evacuate the building
- information about any fire safety management measures helping people to evacuate the building
Safety case report: fire and rescue authority information
The PAP must provide the safety case report to the fire and rescue authority.
Refusal of a building assessment certificate (BAC)
If an application for a BAC has been refused, the PAP must provide documents they are required to keep about the refusal to the local fire and rescue authority.
Plans: fire and rescue authority information
Each AP must give any plans relating to the construction of their parts of the building to the local fire and rescue authority.
Information fire and rescue authorities can request
APs must provide any information and documents relating to the building’s safety that the fire and rescue authority ask for.
Fire and rescue authority personal data exceptions
Unless it is permitted personal data, the AP should only provide personal data if it relates to:
- identifying, assessing or managing building safety risks
- the fire or structural safety of the building
Commercial sensitivity exceptions
Information is commercially sensitive where it is not in the public domain at the relevant time and where it discloses:
- customer identities that are confidential to the AP, the outgoing person (someone who stops being the AP for a high-rise residential building) or a third party
- marketing and product development strategies and analysis that are confidential to the AP, the outgoing person or a third party
- supplier identities that are confidential to the AP, the outgoing person or a third party
- cost, price or other quantitative data that is confidential and relates to the operations of the AP’s or outgoing person’s organisation or to the operations of a third party
- data or information covered by commercial confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements
- any other trade secret of the AP, outgoing person, or a third party
When commercial sensitivities exceptions do not apply
The AP can make exceptions for commercial sensitivities on information they must provide to:
- another AP
- a client
- a relevant RP
- an incoming AP or a PAP
- a resident or owner of a residential unit when making a request for additional information
Commercial sensitivities exceptions do not apply when the AP must provide:
- a BAC for a high-rise residential building
- the most recent written notice from BSR refusing the application and notifying the PAP of the refusal
- the building’s most up-to-date registration information
- the information given by the PAP to BSR when applying to register a building, at least 28 days after the date of the application
- relevant complaints and recurring complaints
Fire safety information commercial sensitivities
Commercial sensitivities do not apply when the AP must provide:
- a list identifying each fire safety management measure, and a record of where each of those measures is kept
- the evacuation strategy and evacuation information for the part of the high-rise residential building for which the AP is responsible
- the evacuation strategy and the evacuation information for the whole building when an AP is also the PAP
- a record of the design and materials of the external walls
- floorplans, including the single page building plan
- location of all lifts and identify if the lift is one for use by firefighters or an evacuation lift
- main firefighting equipment in the whole building
Structural risks and building design: commercial sensitivities exceptions
Commercial sensitivities do not apply when the AP must provide any information recorded as part of the planning, design or construction of the high-rise residential building. This information includes any:
- design code applied, as provided for in the National Planning Policy Framework
- British or international building standard applied and followed in its construction
- description of the building’s intended use, including who it is for and why it is being built
- a list identifying each structural safety measure in the building
Completion and partial completion of works
Commercial sensitivities do not apply where a completion certificate application by a client is approved by BSR.
Registration
If a high-rise residential building has been registered with BSR then commercial sensitivities exemptions do not apply to the most up-to-date registration information.
Personal data exceptions
The AP can share permitted personal data with:
- a resident
- an owner of a residential unit
- a resident client who is not an AP for the same high-rise residential building
- another AP for the same high-rise residential building
- a relevant RP
- an AP client
- a fire and rescue authority
The AP or PAP do not have to provide any personal data unless it is permitted personal data or significant for managing building safety.
Permitted personal data
Permitted personal data means personal data the PAP is required to display in the building. This could be in:
- a notice in the prescribed form containing prescribed information about APs for the building
- the building’s most recent BAC
- any relevant compliance notice
A compliance notice is relevant if:
- it has been given to an AP for the building
- it is not given to the PAP, but BSR has given the PAP a copy
- BSR has not notified the PAP that the notice has been withdrawn
Personal data significant for managing building safety
This is any information that lets the AP, PAP, relevant RP, AP client, or local fire and rescue authority:
- identify, assess or manage a building safety risk in the high-rise residential building
- understand how this is being done by someone else who has responsibilities for fire or structural safety
When the exception for personal data does not apply
The AP or PAP must give the following information to a fire and rescue authority:
- a list identifying each fire safety management measure, and a record of where each of those measures is kept
- the evacuation strategy and evacuation information for the part of the high-rise residential building for which the AP is responsible
- only where the AP is also the PAP for the high-rise residential building, the evacuation strategy and evacuation information for the high-rise residential building as a whole
- fire safety management documents the AP creates or has received for the part of the high-rise residential building they’re responsible for
The information on this page is not intended to be guidance under section 108 of the Building Safety Act 2022.