The resident engagement strategy

In short: Every occupied higher-risk building must have a resident engagement strategy - a document setting out how the principal accountable person will involve residents and flat owners in decisions about managing the building's safety risks. It is a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022, not an optional extra.

What the strategy must cover

A resident engagement strategy sets out, in practical terms:

• the building safety information that will be shared with residents;
• how residents can take part in building safety decisions, and how their views will be sought and taken into account;
• how and how often the principal accountable person will communicate;
• when the strategy will be reviewed; and
• how residents can raise concerns.

Residents' right to information

Residents and flat owners can ask the accountable person for prescribed building safety information - and the accountable person must provide it. Being ready to respond to those requests is part of meeting the duty.

The complaints duty

Alongside engagement, the accountable person must operate a system for handling building safety complaints from residents, and escalate matters to the Building Safety Regulator where appropriate.

How CTS helps

CTS helps you write a resident engagement strategy that meets the requirements and actually works for your building, sets up a workable complaints process, and keeps the evidence of engagement in your golden thread on the CTS BuildSafe platform. See also our guide to the accountable person.

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