Residential PEEPs in England: Your April 2026 operations playbook for property managers

From 6 April 2026, property managers across England will be legally required to have Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) in place for all residential buildings with vulnerable residents. This isn't just another box-ticking exercise. It's a fundamental shift in how you manage safety and accessibility in residential properties.

If you're managing flats, apartment blocks, or multi-occupancy residential buildings, you need to be ready. The deadline is approaching faster than you think, and non-compliance isn't an option.

This playbook breaks down everything you need to know and do before 6 April 2026.

What are residential PEEPs?

A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is a bespoke strategy for safely evacuating a resident who cannot follow the standard emergency procedures due to disability, age, or temporary impairment.

Unlike commercial buildings where PEEPs have been standard for years, residential properties have historically been exempt. That changes in April 2026.

Who needs a PEEP?

Residents who may require a PEEP include those with:

• Mobility impairments (wheelchair users, walking difficulties)
• Visual or hearing impairments
• Cognitive conditions affecting emergency response
• Temporary conditions (recent surgery, pregnancy complications)
• Age-related vulnerabilities

The legal framework: what you must do

The new regulations place clear responsibilities on property managers and building owners. Here's what you're legally obligated to deliver:

1. Identify vulnerable residents

You must proactively identify residents who may need evacuation assistance. This means setting up a systematic process for:

• Initial assessments during move-in
• Regular reviews (at least annually)
• Responding to resident notifications of changed circumstances
• Handling requests for reasonable adjustments

The catch? Many residents won't volunteer this information. You need robust communication systems to make the process accessible and non-intrusive.

2. Create individual PEEPs

Each PEEP must be tailored to the individual. Generic templates won't suffice. Your plans must document:

• Specific assistance required (equipment, personnel, time)
• Evacuation routes and refuge points
• Communication methods during an emergency
• Alternative arrangements if primary assistants are unavailable
• Equipment storage locations and maintenance schedules

3. Train your team and residents

Staff must understand PEEPs and be trained to execute them. Neighbouring residents who've agreed to assist must also be briefed and updated regularly.

4. Review and update regularly

PEEPs aren't static documents. You must review them:

• Annually at minimum
• When a resident's circumstances change
• After any building modifications
• Following any evacuation drill or actual emergency

5. Maintain accessible records

Emergency services and on-site staff must be able to access current PEEPs instantly. That means proper case management systems, not scattered spreadsheets and email chains.

The communication challenge

Here's where most property managers hit a wall: PEEPs create an enormous volume of resident communication.

Think about it. For a 200-unit building with 15 vulnerable residents, you're managing:

• Initial PEEP assessments (phone calls, emails, in-person meetings)
• Follow-up correspondence to finalise plans
• Annual review reminders and scheduling
• Notifications when building layouts change
• Responses to resident queries about their PEEP
• Coordination with neighbours who've agreed to assist
• Drills and training session invitations

Each touchpoint must be logged, tracked, and followed up. Miss one annual review or fail to update a PEEP after a building change, and you're non-compliant.

Manual processes simply don't scale. You need automated communication systems that can handle this workload while maintaining the personal touch residents expect.

Your 6-week action plan

With the deadline approaching, here's a realistic timeline for achieving compliance:

Weeks 1-2: Audit and assessment

• Review all properties in your portfolio
• Identify which buildings require PEEPs
• Assess current accessibility information (if any)
• Calculate resource requirements

Weeks 3-4: Communication infrastructure

• Set up case management systems for PEEP tracking
• Implement automated communication tools
• Create email and phone scripts for initial outreach
• Design accessible resident information forms

This is where OdjoAI can dramatically accelerate your progress. Our platform handles the entire PEEP communication workflow automatically:

• AI receptionist manages inbound calls from residents with PEEP queries
• Email generation creates personalised outreach for assessments and reviews
• Case management logs every interaction against the property file
• Automated reminders ensure annual reviews never slip through

Weeks 5-6: Resident outreach

• Send building-wide communications explaining PEEPs
• Conduct initial assessments with identified vulnerable residents
• Begin drafting individual PEEPs
• Schedule follow-up appointments

Ongoing: Operations and compliance

• Complete all initial PEEPs before 6 April deadline
• Set up annual review cycles
• Train staff on PEEP execution
• Conduct evacuation drills incorporating PEEPs

Common pitfalls to avoid

Assuming residents will self-identify

Many residents won't tell you they need assistance. Some don't want to be seen as vulnerable. Others don't realise they qualify. You must actively reach out.

Using generic templates

Regulators will spot copy-paste PEEPs immediately. Each plan must genuinely reflect the individual's needs and your building's specific layout.

Forgetting about temporary conditions

A resident recovering from surgery or a pregnant woman in late term might need a temporary PEEP. Your systems must capture these time-sensitive requirements.

Poor record-keeping

If you can't produce an up-to-date PEEP and evidence of regular reviews during an inspection or after an incident, you're liable. Scattered emails and handwritten notes won't cut it.

Treating this as a one-off project

PEEP compliance is ongoing operational work, not a one-time implementation. Budget for the permanent increase in communication overhead.

How OdjoAI simplifies PEEP management

Managing PEEPs creates three major operational challenges: resident communication volume, case tracking complexity, and compliance documentation. OdjoAI solves all three.

Never miss a call or email

Our AI receptionist handles PEEP-related calls 24/7. When a resident rings about their evacuation plan, the system:

• Answers immediately (no missed calls)
• Captures all relevant details
• Logs the interaction against their property file
• Routes urgent issues to your team instantly

For emails, OdjoAI drafts contextual responses in seconds. Whether it's confirming an assessment appointment or explaining PEEP requirements, you approve and send with one click.

Automatic case management

Every PEEP-related interaction is automatically logged against the correct resident and property. You get:

• Complete audit trails for compliance proof
• Centralised PEEP status tracking across your portfolio
• Automated reminders for annual reviews
• Dashboard visibility of compliance status

Scalable without headcount growth

The PEEP communication workload would typically require additional staff. OdjoAI handles the volume increase without expanding your team, letting you maintain margins while meeting legal obligations.

What happens if you're not compliant?

Non-compliance with PEEP requirements carries serious consequences:

• Enforcement notices requiring immediate action
• Unlimited fines for serious breaches
• Personal liability for directors and senior managers
• Reputational damage if an incident occurs
• Potential civil claims from residents

More importantly, inadequate PEEPs put lives at risk. This is about resident safety first, compliance second.

Next steps: Getting compliant before April

You have less than two months to get your systems in place. Here's what to do today:

1. Audit your current resident communication processes. Can they handle a 3-5x increase in touchpoints? If not, you need better systems.

2. Calculate how many PEEPs you'll need across your portfolio. Don't underestimate this number.

3. Test your current case management. Can you instantly produce an audit trail for any resident's PEEP status and review history? If not, you have a compliance gap.

4. Set up proper communication infrastructure before you start resident outreach. Trying to manage this in Outlook and spreadsheets will fail.

OdjoAI helps property managers stay compliant without drowning in admin. Our AI receptionist handles calls, our email tool drafts responses, and our case management logs everything automatically.

Book a demo to see how we can get your properties PEEP-compliant before the deadline.

Final thoughts

The 6 April 2026 deadline for residential PEEPs represents a significant shift in property management responsibilities. It's not optional, and it's not going away.

But it's also an opportunity. Properties with excellent PEEP systems will stand out. Residents and families will choose buildings where they know safety and accessibility are taken seriously.

The property managers who get this right will differentiate themselves. Those who treat it as a compliance burden will struggle.

Use the right tools, start now, and you'll be ready.