Roles and responsibilities
The Building Safety Act 2022 identifies new roles and responsibilities for people and organisations who are responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England- accountable persons and the principal accountable person.
These responsibilities include registering high-rise residential buildings with the Building Safety Regulator.
It is the principal accountable person who will be required to register high-rise buildings before 1 October 2023.
You can read detailed guidance to help you understand the legal duties of accountable persons and principal accountable persons for high-rise residential buildings.
What is an accountable person?
Accountable persons
Accountable persons are the organisation or person who owns or are accountable for the building. Accountable persons are legally responsible for repairing or maintaining common parts of a building, for example, the exterior and structure, corridors or lobbies.
Principal accountable persons must register high-rise residential buildings
If a building has more than one accountable person, the accountable person who owns the building, or is legally responsible for the structure and exterior of the building will be the principal accountable person.
When buildings have a single accountable person, that organisation or person is also the principal accountable person.
As well as their duties as an accountable person, the principal accountable person must:
- register existing high-rise buildings with the Building Safety Regulator
- register all new buildings and receive a completion certificate before they are lived in
Learn more about applying to register high-rise residential buildings, including what to prepare.
Apply to register your building
Principal accountable persons must use our online service to apply to register high-rise residential buildings before 1 October 2023.