Registering Your High-Rise Building and Navigating the New Safety Regime
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a new safety regime for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), residential blocks over 18 metres or seven storeys with at least two residential units.
One of the first legal steps for building owners and managers was the mandatory registration of HRBs with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), with an initial deadline of October 2023.
If you own or manage an HRB, registration is not optional. It is the foundation of compliance under the Act and a prerequisite to demonstrating that fire and structural safety risks are being properly managed.
Why Registration Matters
- Legal requirement: Failure to register an occupied HRB is an offence and may result in enforcement action or prosecution.
- Starting point for compliance: Registration creates a formal link between the building and the Principal Accountable Person (PAP), the person or organisation legally responsible for safety.
- Triggers further obligations: Once registered, the PAP must maintain a Safety Case, prepare a Safety Case Report when requested, and keep the building’s Golden Thread of safety information up to date.
Who Is the Principal Accountable Person?
Every HRB must have a clearly named Principal Accountable Person. This is typically:
- The freeholder, head leaseholder, or building owner.
- A managing company or Right to Manage company (if it has overall control).
- Occasionally, a housing association or local authority.
The PAP is legally responsible for ensuring the building’s fire safety and structural safety are properly assessed, managed, and documented.
Steps to Comply With the New Safety Regime
- Confirm if Your Building Is an HRB
- Check if it is 18 metres or taller, or has seven or more storeys, and contains two or more residential units.
- Care homes and hospitals that meet these height/occupancy thresholds are also included.
- Register Your HRB With the BSR
- Complete the registration via the official government portal.
- Provide accurate details of the building, height, number of units and the Principal Accountable Person.
- Appoint Competent Professionals
- The PAP should appoint competent fire and structural engineers to support ongoing risk assessment.
- Develop Your Safety Case
- Gather structural and fire safety information.
- Commission a Structural Safety Report (SSR) and structural appraisal where needed.
- Prepare for a Safety Case Report Request
- When the BSR calls for it, be ready to submit a clear, regulator-ready report covering fire and structural failure risks.
The Structural Safety Element
As part of this new regime, the PAP must demonstrate control of structural failure risk. This means maintaining:
- Original and as-built structural records.
- A current Structural Safety Report prepared by a competent, preferably Chartered, Structural Engineer.
- A clear monitoring and maintenance plan for long-term safety.
- Digital records suitable for the Golden Thread.
How Structures Made Easy Can Support You
At Structures Made Easy, we specialise in helping owners and Principal Accountable Persons navigate the new building safety regime. We provide:
- Competence and Chartered Engineer sign-off
- Proven HRB experience and regulator-ready reporting
- Fast turnaround to meet compliance deadlines
- Portfolio pricing for multiple buildings
- Digital-friendly reports for easy integration into the Golden Thread
Whether you’re registering your first HRB or need help developing the structural safety evidence required under the Act, we make compliance clear, efficient and reliable.
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