Your Home, Your Safety
Building Assessment Certificates – residents’ guide
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) works to make sure residents in high-rise buildings feel safe and are safe in their homes.
The government established a new system, including the formation of BSR, to prevent tragedies like Grenfell Tower from ever happening again.
First introduced in 2024, Building Assessment Certificates (BACs) for high-rise residential buildings in England are an important part of this new system.
This page will explain what a BAC is and isn’t, and what a BAC assessment means for residents in high-rise buildings.
What are Building Assessment Certificates (BAC)?
A BAC is a document issued by BSR to the person responsible for building safety. Legally, these people or organisations are called the Principal Accountable Person or ‘PAP’ for short.
We will refer to them as your PAP throughout this page.
The BAC provides evidence, at the time BSR made its assessment, your building’s PAP met specific legal safety duties to prevent fire spread and structural problems under the Building Safety Act 2022.
While a BAC is a good thing, it doesn’t tell the whole story about a building’s safety. AND It’s not a guarantee of ongoing compliance or safety.
That ongoing work is your PAP’s responsibility.
👍 A BAC is…
- a document issued by BSR to the PAP – the person or organisation legally responsible for the safety of your building – after a BAC assessment
- evidence showing the PAP met specific fire and structural safety legal requirements when the assessment took place
- something that provides assurance about your building’s safety measures to residents, visitors and the public
- a certificate from a successful assessment by BSR. Your PAP must display it in a clear spot in your building
👎 A BAC is not…
- a guarantee that your building will always be safe. It’s only a “snapshot” of building safety at the time it was assessed
- a replacement for other important safety laws still in place
- the only thing that keeps your building safe. Your PAP has ongoing legal duties to keep managing building safety risks, not just when being assessed for a BAC
- a one-off. BSR aims to reassess buildings every 5 years. Significant building changes, incidents or found safety risks can lead to an earlier reassessment
Building Assessment Certificates – your questions answered
Why does my building not have a BAC?
BSR is assessing buildings in a planned order. If you have been given this information by your building owner or manager (PAP) it means your building is due to be assessed.
- BSR tells PAPs when it’s their turn to apply – they can’t choose to apply themselves
- the planned programme prioritises high-rise buildings based on factors like height (tallest first), number of apartments, the building’s age and cladding types
- the assessment process is thorough and involves BSR, local council and Fire and Rescue Service experts checking important documents that your PAP provides
- These documents include:
- a “Safety Case Report” for your building, which explains how your PAP manages safety risks
- the “Residents’ Engagement Strategy”, which details how your PAP involves you and other residents in safety decisions
- information about the system your PAP uses to report any safety concerns
The assessment will take time – at least 6 months to complete. The information your PAP provided is assessed against preset criteria.
After this, BSR approves or refuses the BAC for your building.
What does a PAP have to do for its residents?
- your PAP has ongoing legal responsibilities to always manage building safety risk, not just when a BAC is being assessed
- they should have a plan explaining how residents are involved in building safety decisions (the “Resident Engagement Strategy”). Your PAP must give you this plan and let you be involved
- PAPs must share important safety information with you, such as summaries of safety reports about your building and details about what to do in an emergency
- if granted a BAC after BSR’s assessment, they should display the certificate in a prominent position for residents and visitors to see
- if they are refused a BAC, they should also display any notice(s) they receive from BSR, showing what improvements need to be done in a prominent location.
My building’s BAC application was refused – will I have to move out? Is it unsafe to live here?
It can be concerning to hear your building’s BAC application was refused.
However, this refusal does NOT automatically mean the building is unsafe to live in.
- a refusal means that, during BSR’s assessment, they found your PAP was not fully meeting all their specific safety duties at that time
- if this happens, BSR provides your PAP with reasons for the refusal and a compliance notice, which they must display in the building for residents to see
- despite refusal, issues can often easily be put right
- while working to sort out any issues, PAPs can usually manage highlighted issues by putting temporary or “interim” safety measures in place
- if issues are more serious BSR, your local council or Fire and Rescue Service can take further action to make your PAP ensure your building is safe
Found this guide useful?
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You can also download a version to print at home, photocopy, or have professionally printed:
Where can I find out more?
- talk to your PAP, building owner, manager, landlord or their managing agent. They are responsible for sharing information with you about your building’s safety. Your caretaker or concierge should be able to contact them or give their details if you don’t have them
- sign up for our free residents’ newsletter
- follow us on social media using the links below
A to Z of building safety
To find out more about any terms or organisations used on this page, refer to our A to Z of building safety glossary.