Building Safety Act · Mandatory · Completion

Resident Engagement Strategy

A strategy for engaging with residents of a higher-risk building on safety matters.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. BSA 2022 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Building Safety Act 2022 Part 4 + Higher-Risk Buildings (Management of Safety Risks etc.) (England) Regs 2023
Status	Mandatory — all occupied higher-risk buildings
Responsibility	Building Owner / Manager (Accountable Person / PAP)
Grenfell context	Residents raised concerns for years before the fire and were not heard
Resident rights	Residents have statutory rights to information, complaints, and review of AP decisions

1. Resident Engagement — Putting Residents at the Centre of Building Safety

The Resident Engagement Strategy is one of the most distinctively new elements of the Building Safety Act — the recognition that residents are not passive occupants but active participants in the safety of their homes. For decades, building owners and managers had legal fire and structural safety obligations but no obligation to engage residents in safety decisions. The BSA changes this fundamentally: residents have statutory rights to information, to raise concerns, and to be heard.

The strategy is not a communications plan for emergencies — it is an ongoing engagement framework for all aspects of building safety. It must be in writing, shared with residents, and actually implemented. A Resident Engagement Strategy that exists on paper but has never been communicated to residents, and where residents' safety concerns are routinely ignored, does not meet the spirit or letter of the legislation.

The resident engagement strategy should be co-created with residents where possible — not drafted in isolation by the building manager

The most effective resident engagement strategies are developed with input from residents — asking them what information they want, how they prefer to be consulted, and what has been most important to them about building safety. A strategy developed without resident input, imposed on residents from above, and not tailored to the actual building's resident population (language needs; mobility; digital access) will be less effective and less credible. Piloting the strategy with a residents' group before finalising it demonstrates genuine engagement.

2. Resident Engagement Strategy — Content

The following table sets out the content of a Resident Engagement Strategy. Each element must be addressed with building-specific detail and evidence of implementation.

Element	Detail
Building details	Building name, address, storeys, units.
AP and PAP details	Who is responsible for resident engagement. Contact details.
Engagement approach	Methods used: residents' meetings; newsletters; building management app; notice boards; written communications. Frequency of each method.
Information sharing	What safety information will be provided to residents: fire evacuation procedures; safety maintenance schedule; details of safety works planned. How residents access golden thread information relevant to them.
Resident concerns	How residents raise safety concerns: who to contact; in what form; expected response time; what happens with the concern.
Decision involvement	How residents are involved in safety decisions: consultation before works; representation on safety committee; feedback mechanisms.
Review and complaints	How residents can request a review of AP decisions. Complaint process. Housing Ombudsman / BSR as escalation.
Vulnerable residents	How the strategy addresses the needs of residents with disabilities, limited English, or other needs.
Annual review	The strategy will be reviewed annually/biennially. Date of last review. Next review date.
Resident acknowledgement	Evidence that the strategy has been shared with residents.

3. Common Mistakes

Preparing the strategy without consulting residents

A strategy imposed on residents without any input from them does not demonstrate genuine engagement. The BSR expects the AP to show how residents' views have shaped the strategy — not just that a document exists.

Not sharing the strategy with all residents

The strategy must be communicated to all residents in the building — not just leaseholders, not just those who attend meetings. Methods for ensuring all residents receive the strategy should be documented: physical delivery; building management app; notice boards; email lists.

Not actually implementing the strategy

A well-written strategy that is not implemented — residents' meetings that never happen; concern reporting channels that are unmonitored — is a failure of substance, not just form. The BSR will look for evidence of implementation: meeting records; responses to resident concerns; communications sent.

Not updating the strategy when residents’ needs or circumstances change

A strategy written for the building's initial occupiers may not meet the needs of a changed resident population. As residents change, new languages may be needed; as the building ages, fire safety education needs may evolve. Review the strategy at least annually.

Not providing residents with meaningful access to safety information

The golden thread should be structured to allow residents to access information about their building's safety that is relevant and comprehensible to them. Technical engineering specifications in PDF format are not meaningful resident engagement. Clear, plain-English summaries of key safety information — evacuation procedures, fire system maintenance schedule, major safety works — is what residents need.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What safety information must the AP provide to residents?▾

The Higher-Risk Buildings (Management of Safety Risks etc.) Regulations 2023 and the BSA s.92 specify information that must be provided. The AP must provide residents with: the identity of the AP and PAP; the safety case report summary; the residents’ engagement strategy; emergency procedures; and information about any safety works being carried out. Residents can request further information under s.92 — the AP must respond within specified timescales.

What happens if a resident raises a safety concern?▾

The AP must have a documented process for receiving, investigating, and responding to resident safety concerns. Under the BSA, residents have the right to request a review of an AP’s decision relating to safety. If unsatisfied with the AP’s response, residents can escalate to the BSR or Housing Ombudsman. A safety concern that is a mandatory occurrence (risk of death or serious injury from structural failure or fire spread) must also be reported through the MOR system.

Do residents have access rights to the golden thread?▾

Residents have the right to request information from the AP about the building’s safety under s.92 of the BSA. The AP must make available specified information about the building. The golden thread should be structured to enable this: certain information (evacuation procedures, fire system details, maintenance schedules) should be directly accessible to residents; more technical information should be available on request in an accessible format.

Is the Resident Engagement Strategy the same as the Emergency Evacuation Plan?▾

No — they serve different purposes. The Emergency Evacuation Plan is the practical plan for what happens in a fire emergency — how people evacuate, who is responsible for what, where the assembly point is. The Resident Engagement Strategy is the ongoing framework for how residents are involved in building safety management — informing, consulting, and responding. Both are required; both should be included in the golden thread.

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