The accountable person

In short: An accountable person (AP) is the organisation or individual responsible for a higher-risk building. An AP either holds a legal estate in possession of the common parts, or is under a relevant repairing obligation for them. In practice this is usually the freeholder, a residents management company (RMC) or right to manage (RTM) company, a registered provider, or a managing agent acting for them. Every higher-risk building must have an AP, and where there is more than one, a single principal accountable person (PAP).

Accountable person vs principal accountable person

A building can have more than one AP - for example, different owners of different parts. The principal accountable person is the AP responsible for the building's structure and exterior. Where there is only one AP, that person is automatically the PAP. The PAP carries the lead reporting duties to the Building Safety Regulator.

RMC and RTM directors: the duty is yours

If you are a director of a Residents Management Company (RMC) or Right to Manage (RTM) company that owns or is responsible for the building, your company is very likely the accountable person - and, for a single block, the principal accountable person. Appointing a managing agent to run the building day to day does not transfer that duty: you can delegate the work, but the legal responsibility stays with the company and its directors. If the agent doesn't register the building or keep the safety case, it is the RMC that is in breach. See our guide for RMC directors.

The key duties

APs and the PAP must:

• Register the building with the Building Safety Regulator before it is occupied. Registration is not a one-off - the details must be kept current. See our guide to registering with the BSR.
• Assess the building safety risks - the risks of fire spread and structural failure - at regular intervals, and take all reasonable steps to manage them.
• Prepare a safety case report and notify the Regulator once it is complete, keeping it current as the building changes.
• Apply for a building assessment certificate when directed by the Regulator, and display it in the building.
• Keep and maintain the golden thread of building information, structured digitally.
• Put in place a resident engagement strategy so residents can access safety information and raise concerns, plus a documented complaints process.
• Set up a system for mandatory occurrence reporting so safety events reach the Regulator.

For the full sequence of when each of these bites, see our Building Safety Act timeline.

The inspection regime that sits underneath

Meeting the duty to manage risks is not just paperwork - it rests on a structured, evidenced programme of inspection and maintenance, carried out by competent people and recorded in the golden thread. In practice that typically covers:

• facade and external wall inspections (and any EWS1 or FRAEW assessment);
• fire door inspections - flat entrance doors and communal doors;
• fire detection and alarm testing, and emergency lighting checks;
• lift maintenance and inspections;
• electrical installation condition reports (EICR) and, where relevant, gas safety;
• legionella (water) risk assessments;
• structural surveys where the building's condition requires them.

Every inspection needs to be documented, and any defect tracked through to completion - that trail is exactly what the Regulator expects to see.

The penalties

The duties carry real consequences. Operating an occupied higher-risk building that is not registered is a criminal offence. A breach of an AP's or PAP's duties that, without reasonable excuse, places people at significant risk of death or serious injury is an offence. Failing to pass the golden thread to a new accountable person can lead to a fine and up to two years' imprisonment. Beyond prosecution, the Regulator can issue compliance and improvement notices requiring specific action, and act where a building is not being managed safely. Our guide to BSR enforcement sets out the powers in full.

Where accountable persons commonly fall short

In practice, the recurring gaps we see are: no structured inspection regime (inspections done reactively, or not recorded in one place); records scattered across emails, paper files and disconnected systems rather than a proper golden thread; no safety case prepared, or one that wouldn't withstand BSR scrutiny; and a resident engagement strategy that is understood as a requirement but never actually formalised. Each is fixable - but only if you know where you stand.

How CTS helps

CTS acts solely for you, the accountable person - never for a contractor or supplier. We help you identify the AP and PAP, register the building, build and maintain the golden thread and safety case, design a compliant inspection programme, and stay on top of reporting through the CTS BuildSafe platform. If you're not sure where your building stands, the best starting point is a compliance gap assessment - a clear, prioritised picture of what's in place and what's missing.

General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by the CTS building safety team.