The regulatory landscape for fire safety in England has continued to evolve significantly since the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022. The 2026 amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the RRO) close several gaps identified during post-Grenfell reviews and introduce clearer, more enforceable obligations for responsible persons. If you own, manage, or occupy a non-domestic or multi-occupied residential building, the changes directly affect you.
What Has Changed Under the 2026 Amendments?
The most significant amendments centre on three areas: cooperation and coordination between responsible persons, the recording and sharing of fire safety information, and the obligations relating to residents in multi-occupied residential buildings.
Where multiple responsible persons share a building — common in mixed-use and purpose-built residential developments — the 2026 changes introduce a formal duty to establish written cooperation arrangements. This is no longer a best-practice recommendation; it is a legal requirement. Each responsible person must be able to demonstrate, upon inspection, that meaningful coordination is in place.
Recording requirements have also been tightened. Responsible persons for non-domestic premises with fewer than five employees were previously exempt from certain written record-keeping obligations. That exemption has been removed. All responsible persons must now maintain a written fire risk assessment and record of the fire safety arrangements put in place.
Building Safety Act: Ongoing Obligations
Alongside the RRO amendments, buildings that fall within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022 continue to accumulate obligations as the regime matures. Higher-risk buildings — those 18 metres or above, or with seven or more storeys, containing at least two residential units — must have a current Building Safety Case and are subject to ongoing engagement duties with residents.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has increased its inspection activity throughout 2025 and 2026, and enforcement notices have been issued to accountable persons who failed to maintain adequate safety cases or to demonstrate a functioning golden thread of building information. The message from the regulator is clear: passive compliance is no longer acceptable.
"The responsible person must not only act — they must be able to evidence what they have done, why they did it, and when. Documentation is not an administrative burden; it is the foundation of defensible compliance."
What Must Responsible Persons Do Now?
The practical actions required will depend on the type and classification of your building, but at a minimum every responsible person should be doing the following:
- Ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place and has been reviewed within the last 12 months, or following any material change to the premises
- Establish and document cooperation arrangements with any other responsible persons sharing the building or site
- Record all fire safety arrangements in writing, regardless of staff headcount
- Review the competence of whoever carried out your fire risk assessment — the 2026 guidance sets out minimum competency criteria that assessors must now meet
- For higher-risk buildings, verify that the Building Safety Case is current and that resident engagement is being maintained in line with BSA obligations
Assessor Competence: A New Area of Focus
One of the most consequential changes for building owners is the increased scrutiny on the competence of fire risk assessors. The 2026 guidance introduces a tiered competency framework aligned to building complexity and use. A fire risk assessment for a small, low-occupancy office requires a different level of expertise than one for a high-rise residential block or a hospital.
Responsible persons who engage assessors without verifying their competence against the relevant tier may find their assessments challenged by enforcement bodies. Third-party accreditation through recognised schemes remains the most reliable way to demonstrate competence.
Enforcement Trends in 2026
Fire and Rescue Services have reported a notable increase in enforcement activity during the first half of 2026. Alterations notices, prohibition orders, and enforcement notices have all risen compared to 2025 figures. The most common triggers remain inadequate fire risk assessments, poor fire door condition, and failures in fire alarm systems — issues that diligent maintenance and regular auditing can prevent.
If you are uncertain whether your current fire safety arrangements meet the 2026 standards, a professional fire safety audit is the most efficient way to identify gaps and establish a prioritised remediation plan before an enforcement visit does it for you.